Indonesia Temporarily Blocks Internet Archive over Pornography and Copyright Violations

 

JAKARTA, Investortrust.id — Indonesia’s Ministry of Communication and Digital has temporarily blocked access to Internet Archive (Archive.org), citing violations of national law related to illegal content, including pornography, online gambling, and copyright infringement.

 

The move follows a series of formal notices sent by the ministry to the platform's operator—letters that went unanswered, prompting authorities to escalate enforcement measures.

 

“This is not a reactive step,” said Alexander Sabar, Director General of Digital Space Oversight at Ministry of Communication and Digital. “We sent multiple official communications with no response. Firm action had to be taken.”

 

According to Sabar, the platform was given an opportunity to self-correct and remove illicit material but failed to do so. The ministry highlighted that although Internet Archive plays a critical role in digital preservation globally, it remains bound by the laws of any country where its services are available.

 

“We respect the importance of digital archiving,” he said. “But we cannot allow legal violations to persist unchecked.”

 

Copyright and Creative Industry Concerns

In addition to sensitive content, officials identified material that may have breached copyright laws—raising red flags over the potential harm to Indonesia’s creative economy.

 

“If original works by Indonesian creators are archived without permission, the state cannot remain passive,” said Sabar. “Protecting local creatives is a key part of our digital sovereignty agenda.”

 

He stressed that the decision to block the platform is temporary and may be reversed if Internet Archive takes meaningful steps to clean up prohibited content and implement stronger moderation systems.

 

Compliance Over Censorship

Sabar clarified that the ministry’s objective is not to censor, but to compel compliance with Indonesian law. Past experiences, he noted, show that many platforms only begin constructive engagement after such firm action is taken.

 

“This block is not an end, but a means to restore dialogue,” he said. “We are open to working with all digital platforms—so long as Indonesian law is respected.”