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View all search resultsGovt denies plan to restrict internet calls
The government has denied that it is planning to restrict internet-based voice and video call services after reports of a possible ban on popular messaging platform WhatsApp sparked public concern.
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Communications and Digital Minister Meutya Hafid (center) attends a working meeting with House of Representatives Commission I on Nov. 5, 2024, along with her deputy ministers Nezar Patria (left) and Angga Raka Prabowo (right), at the Senayan legislative compound in Jakarta. (Antara/Dhemas Reviyanto)
T
he government has denied that it is planning to restrict internet-based voice and video call services after reports of a possible ban of popular messaging platform WhatsApp sparked public concern.
Communications and Digital Minister Meutya Hafid said in a statement on Friday that the government had no plans to restrict Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) services and that any reports suggesting otherwise were “false and misleading”.
VoIP refers to technologies that allow users to make voice and video calls over the internet, bypassing traditional phone lines or SMS networks. Services like WhatsApp and Zoom operate using this technology.
“I want to stress that the government is not designing or considering any restrictions on WhatsApp,” Meutya said.
She said the government had previously received proposals from several stakeholders in the country’s telecommunications industry, such as the Indonesian Telecommunications Providers Association (ATSI) and the Indonesian Telematics Society (Mastel) calling for VoIP services to be regulated.
But Meutya also said that the proposals had never been formally discussed in any policymaking forum and were not part of the ministry’s agenda as the ministry remained focused on programs to expand internet access in underdeveloped regions, improve digital literacy and strengthen cybersecurity and data protection.
“I apologize for the public concern this has caused. I have instructed the relevant officials to conduct an internal clarification and to ensure that no policy is being drafted toward restricting digital services,” she added.
