TEMPO Interactive, Jakarta: The Minister of Communication and Information, Muhamamad Nuh, announced his department will block internet sites with negative content including pornography sites. “We promised our commitment to APJI and KPI to block the negative sites,” he said after launching the Broadband Learning Center at Al-Akbar mosque, Surabaya, last Friday. This is a response to unease of religious figures to the internet-based Information Technology in places of worship in East Java. They are worried their followers will misuse the internet for pornographic sites.

Nuh explained three methods to close negative-content sites. First, dissemination to the public and also giving away software to block the sites. Second, block the network with direct international connection through special software. The network will only be connected to a network inside the country. “If it does not work, there will be a third method, which is blocking directly from central sites that we consider unsecured.”

According to the Director of Software and Information Systems, Loly Amalia, the guideline to block sexual and violence sites plans to be finished in April – May. This guideline will be established as a ministerial regulation.

The main consideration for this policy is the possibility of a bad influence on children. “Children now are the main target of pedophilia through the internet,” she said to Tempo yesterday. Another kind of site that will be blocked is a violence site. For example a site that teaches how to make a bomb. “Cruel and violent sites, especially those that have a potential to harm the nation, must be watched.”

In the beginning, the internet content was only limited by ethics. Now the government makes a firm move. Loly said the mechanism of this limitation will be executed through the observation phase where there will be a verification for violation, warning, and blocking. Special teams will be established to watch and follow up complaints from the community.