Public, including content providers, bloggers, facebookers, twitters, have until February 19 to review the draft of Multimedia Content Regulation. While government argues such regulation is needed to protect public from hassles caused by abuse of electronic information, documents, and transactions, some worried the regulation could be a setback to freedom of expression.
Public may review the Draft of ICT Minister Regulation about Multimedia Content and provide feedbacks to gatot_b@postel.go.id. One week might not enough to review the draft, but content providers have no choice than to review quickly the draft.
Pornographic contents (Article 3) and gambling (Article 4) are among the targets. But coverage of contents to be regulated is way beyond them.
Article 5 forbids distribution, transmission and or give access to contents which contained information about actions that may degrade physical ability, intellectual capacity, etc of someone. (Needs further clarity on this, because criticizing public officers could fall into the definition of this article)
Article 6 forbids contents which contain:
(1) Hoax which may cause losses for consumers in electronic transaction:
(2) Information which triggers hatreds among individuals, group of religion, tribes, etc;
(3) Extortion
Article 7 forbids contents which contain:
(1) Information on privacy (authentic deeds, members of the family, medical records, financial records, assets, income, bank accounts).
(2) Intellectual Property Rights
Internet Providers are given the rights for blocking multimedia content upon the decision of Multimedia Content Team or the provider itself.
The Multimedia Content Team will be consisted of government officers (50%) and public (50%). Such composition may be too government-heavy. May be 30% government and 70% civil society would be fair. Why not an independent body instead?
Article 32 point 2: Multimedia Content Team is chaired by Director General (at the ICT ministry). Why should a director general at ICT Ministry?
Article 24 may be too excessive because five members of the Multimedia Content will be all government officers who will examine one or series of contents based on reports from public, State apparatus, and or Internet providers.
The Team will be assisted by a secretariat to be instituted further by Telematic Application Director General. The Team shall be established within one year since the regulation applied.
Well, this team could be a new (censorship) superbody in the country.
