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esponding to widespread concern that the Communications and Information Ministry’s decision to block messaging app Telegram was a precursor to a blanket ban on popular platforms like YouTube and Facebook, President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo made assurances on Sunday that the new policy would not affect other social media platforms.

“There’s no block targeted at other social media platforms,” Jokowi said in a gathering organized by the NasDem Party on Sunday.

Jokowi added that for those who could not get access to Telegram, they could use other messaging apps available in the country.

Communications and Information Minister Rudiantara announced on Friday that the ministry was blocking web versions of the encrypted instant messaging app and would implement a complete ban if it continued to act as a forum for terrorists to communicate and exchange ideas.

“In Telegram, we found 17 channels containing content on terrorism, radicalism, [instructions on how] to make bombs, how to carry out attacks. So we have to block, because we have to crack down on radicalism,” Rudiantara said.

Several local media outlets have also quoted Rudiantara as saying that the government could consider blocking popular social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube if they did not crack down on content that promotes radicalism.

The decision to block Telegram was met with swift condemnation from netizens who were concerned that the government was stepping up efforts to limit free speech.

Over the weekend, social media users vented their anger on Twitter and Facebook after reporting that they could not access the web.telegram.org domain.

Calling the government’s move against Telegram “reactionary” and “ineffective” in combatting terrorism, a coalition of 80 organizations and individuals grouped under the People’s Movement for Democracy called on the government to reopen access to the platform.

“This solution is only effective in the short term because terrorists can easily and quickly move to other platforms,” the coalition said.

The move against Telegram came only two days after Coordinating Political, Legal and Security Affairs Minister Wiranto announced a regulation in lieu of law (Perppu) to ban the hard-line Islamic organization Hizbut Tharir Indonesia (HTI).

Responding to the ban, Telegram founder Pavel Durov said the platform would shut down “terrorist-related” public channels.

Durov said on his Telegram channel that steps had been taken to block certain channels deemed by the Indonesian government to carry terrorism-related campaigns.

“Telegram is heavily encrypted and privacy-oriented, but we’re no friends of terrorists,” Durov said, adding that he was upset with the ban.

The National Police have revealed that homegrown terrorists relied on Telegram to communicate and plan attacks, including some of the recent attacks in the capital, because the app offers end-to-end encryption, a mechanism that would prevent even developers of the app to see the messages.

National Police chief Gen. Tito Karnavian said the terrorist attack that occurred on Jl. MH Thamrin in Central Jakarta in January last year, which killed four civilians and all four attackers, as well as the Kampung Melayu bombing in East Jakarta in May, which killed three officers, had been planned on Telegram.

“It is so massively [used] because Telegram has some advanced features,” Tito said, citing, for example, that one Telegram group could be joined by 5,000 users.

Meanwhile, popular messaging app WhatsApp, which is also encrypted, can register no more than 256 people in one group.

The Washington Post called Telegram the “app of choice” for jihadists. The newspaper reported last year that a terrorist attack at a crowded Berlin Christmas market took place only two weeks after a message was posted on Dec. 6 on one of the Islamic State (IS) movement’s Telegram bulletin boards.

“Christmas, Hanukkah and New Year’s Day is very soon. So let’s prepare a gift for the filthy pigs/apes,” the message said.

The Washington-based Middle East Media Research Institute stated in its report that Telegram has surpassed Twitter as the internet’s most important platform, and that all major terrorist groups on it have encouraged other hard-liners to use the app as well.