Jakarta (BERITAPOLITIK.ONLINE) — In a staunch commitment to combat online gambling practices in Indonesia, the Ministry of Communication and Informatics (Kemenkominfo) reaffirmed its dedication.
Deputy Minister of Communication and Informatics, Nezar Patria, emphasized that the ministry remains vigilant in monitoring and cutting off access to sites affiliated with online gambling activities.
“Nearly 150 individuals on the 8th floor of the Kominfo Building are engaged in a battle against online gambling. Working around the clock for seven days a week in three shifts. We never lose hope, there’s no fatigue in our fight against online gambling,” he stated in a ministry press release in Jakarta, Monday, April 1, 2024.
Nezar elaborated that the AIS Team of the Ministry of Communication and Informatics utilizes artificial intelligence and web crawling technologies to monitor the digital space.
He noted that the ministry’s web crawling activities consistently discover online gambling domains flowing like water.
Upon identifying these domains, the ministry’s team proceeds to block access to prevent public reach to these websites.
From July 2022 to March 2024, the Ministry of Communication and Informatics has blocked access to approximately 1.5 million websites containing online gambling content.
Furthermore, the Ministry of Communication and Informatics collaborates with digital platforms to cleanse negative content from the digital realm.
Platforms like Meta and X have been cautioned multiple times due to the presence of online gambling content.
Inter-ministerial coordination is also intensified to cut off financial access for online gambling platform developers.
“Collaboration has been established with the Financial Services Authority to block transaction-related accounts, and cooperation with the Central Police Criminal Investigation Department to pursue and track online gambling perpetrators,” stated Nezar.
According to government findings, most online gambling developers are not domiciled in Indonesia but in neighboring countries like Cambodia and Myanmar.
Nezar pointed out that foreign online gambling perpetrators recruit and utilize Indonesian citizens as operatives for online gambling.
“Many Indonesian youths go to Cambodia and Myanmar with the expectation of working for game development companies, only to find out upon arrival that they’re tasked with creating online games (online gambling), and there are thousands of them. It’s only then they realize that’s what they’re supposed to do,” he explained.
