Info Ministry Steps Up Efforts to Block Porn Sites

Jakarta - The ministry of information and communication is stepping up efforts to block porn sites ahead of the Muslem fasting month of Ramadhan. "We step up blocking of porn sites again. Actually it is done not only because of Ramadhan but it has been intensified all the time," he said after a meeting to evaluate negative content blocking efforts so far with internet service providers here on Wednesday. He said porn and illegal sites generally have been closed adding "we have blocked minimally around one million sites so far. Almost all of them are from abroad." He said his office had blocked the sites that it had discovered by itself and from information from the public. He said in the framework of implementing the law on information and electronic transactions (ITE) Number 11 of 2008 and Telecommunication Law Number 36 of 1999 the government is obligated to block negative sites that are proven disturbing public sense of security and peace. "We must convince the public that porn sites must be blocked," he said. The minister however admitted that it was difficult to totally free Indonesia of negative sites because of their huge number which is around two billions in the world. (*)