I’d rather have the youth glued to (BlackBerrys) than watch them wither away from cigarettes.
Moeljono Adikoesoemo
Jakarta
 
There’s no other better way than for the government to block porn on BlackBerry.
E Nurdin
Jakarta

As a BlackBerry user, I think the government is doing the right thing upholding the law and making sure of compliance. The eight points that the government has demanded that RIM fulfill were all geared towards providing benefits to the country, which is good.  
Surely, the only ones to suffer from blocking access to porn will be the sex industry.
Armand
Jakarta

This country has other more important issues to solve, [including] the high poverty rate, food shortages, road infrastructure, education for all children, not to mention corruption committed by government officials. Please focus on the substance of the matter.  
Minister Tifatul, your action to ban porn on BlackBerry is not going to improve the Indonesian people’s welfare unless porn is the only thing you are focusing on all the time.
Please think and act as a great and global statesperson, not narrow mindedly.
Tari
Jakarta

Missing from this whole fiasco is a definition of “pornography” and, furthermore, any discussion about whether people who enjoy being watched having sex or watching others doing so are more dangerous and depraved than anyone else.
Scientists are not in agreement about “pornography” and its effects. The upside of any ban will be an increased enthusiasm for newly forbidden pleasures and more devoted resourcefulness in circumventing it.
Robert
Jakarta

As far as I am concerned, we’re still able to access porn sites through other gadgets, laptops, etc. I don’t think the government should block porn sites only on certain products. Is that possible?
Yudhi
Semarang

This is the extra-heavy load that we, the long-suffering Indonesian people, were burdened with after SBY, in evident repayment of a favor, appointed this narrow-minded person, who obviously still lives in the dark ages, as communications and information technology minister.
Tami Koestomo
Bogor, West Java
 
From my perspective, there is nothing wrong with Tifatul’s instructions. It’s common for every country to have special requirements to protect their nation from the negative effects of global information.
Tifatul is a representative of the Indonesian government. So, guys, let support his decision. It is an, information regulation issue, not religious issue that you accuse him of.
Dewa Uritina
Jambi
    
With or without the BlackBerry, everyone in Indonesia —  and I mean everyone —  who wants to access porn can do so using many other portals and gateways.
Dina P.A.
Jakarta

Tifatul made his last move before the President has announced his [potential] reshuffle. What a good move, minister! Will it save his job?
Suri Adnyana
Bekasi, West Java

Let’s concentrate on the Bank Century, Gayus and Lapindo cases.
They affect millions of Indonesians.
Abu Aswat
Jakarta
 
This country needs a minister committed to expanding and modernizing communication. This one seems committed to shutting it down. They also need a government that respects the people and does not act like a nanny, as if the people were naughty children that needed parental guidance on everything.
Dee Dee S.
Banten

I applaud the government for this. I hope they block Facebook also. People need to interact one-on-one again, not through machines. We are not robots after all.
Steve
Canada

I think it’s appropriate action because teenagers form a large percentage of Indonesia’s BlackBerry users, though blocking Internet access may seem extreme, it’s a sure-fire way to get RIM’s attention on this issue.
Soumya Bhat
Cikarang, West Java

I absolutely agree with the government on blocking porn on BlackBerry.
Hendrik
Jakarta

It is not an easy job to block pornography access in the Internet era. It is because everyone has their own right to access all kinds of information on the Internet through private mobile phones like BlackBerry.
I think most Indonesian people can be wise enough to select the appropriate information provided on the Internet based on their needs. The function of the Internet is just like what we can say is the “man behind the gun”. It means that it depends on its user’s objective to use the Internet positively.
Hariyanto Subiyanto
Yogyakarta

It is good that our ministry has a commitment to protect our youth from pornography. We know that today’s children are more familiar with gadget and Internet technology, making it easier for them to have access to any kind of information, including porn sites.
However, why should we focus on BlackBerry only? Why not focus on porn CDs that are sold freely, adults magazines that are put in the same space with children’s stuff and TV programs that exploit women?
Pornographic content is available not only on BlackBerry and of course, it is impossible to rely on our ministry’s regulation. It is also the parent’s duty to monitor what their children watch and read. Start a discussion, listen to them. Appreciate their opinion.
Yasmin
Tangerang

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