By: Ajeng Mufadillah)*
The government’s decision to block Telegram’s service reap the pros and cons. Those who favor consider blocking measures worthwhile, while the counter considers authoritarian government decisions.
The government officially suspended Telegram service, Friday (14/7). Although blocking is still limited in the website version, the decision was fairly taken in a relatively quick time. The main reason used by the government, is the rise of terrorist content in Telegram. The amount of content in circulation was claimed to reach thousands.
Donny Budi Utoyo, founder of ICT Watch, assessed the government’s move to freeze Telegram service is right. The government’s firm stance, he said, could force Telegram to follow the government’s wishes. Donny refers to the recent statement of CEO Telegram Pavel Durov that is distributed on the application channel. In the message, Durov admitted he was negligent in responding to the coordination of the Indonesian government. He said that the goal is not limited to deny content but invites the Telegram.
Meanwhile, Vice President ID SIRTII Bisyron Wahyudi stated, the blocking is more a warning to the service providers. That’s why freezing service only happens on the web version, not up to the app.
But Bisyron does not completely agree with the blocking. According to him as long as there is no way other than the block, the government needs to try it first.
Instead we suggest alternative ways other than the block because Telegram widely used IT communities and start up UMKM.
Even so Bisyron somewhat tolerate government steps. He saw Kominfo find it difficult to receive a response from Telegram before the Telegram web service was blocked.
Bisyron revealed that maybe that’s how Kominfo got to get the attention of Telegram. To be able to work together to counter unwanted content.
Meanwhile, digital marketing expert Anthony Leong believes the blocking of sites located at web.telegram.org, is a form of decline. He said, step Kemkominfo block Telegram not quite right.
Anthony says fail to understand if directly blocked, this setback technology in the midst of the times. If indeed there are complaints about the content can be directly sent to Telegram, but in fact until now according to CEO Telegram has not received an official request from Indonesia. Many of the losses suffered by the community if telegram and social media applications closed in terms of economic growth. How can we continue to grow in the economy if social media will be closed. This telegram closed just how many UMKM are losers, how many online merchants whose turnover decreased significantly.
The Ministry of Communications and Informatics blocked the Telegram instant messaging application that is believed to be used by terrorist networks to communicate. Although the blocked version is the website, this policy reap the controversy and criticism from various parties. This government policy is the right policy to take action against content that could threaten the country. Hopefully with this policy, at least Indonesia can lose little by little from a network called terrorism.
)* The author is CIDISS Contributor