TheJakartaPost
Please Update your browser
Your browser is out of date, and may not be compatible with our website. A list of the most popular web browsers can be found below.
Just click on the icons to get to the download page.
Stella Monica, a beauty clinic and ITE Law: The continuing saga of consumer vulnerability
ITE Law claims yet another consumer, this time a beauty clinic client.
Change Size
Defenders see Stella Monica's case as being another example of the dangers of the ITE Law in shutting down any genuine consumer complaints. (JP/Courtesy of Stella Monica)
S
urabaya-born Stella Monica turned 26 recently but the entrepreneur saw little cause for celebration this year. Instead of blowing out candles and opening gifts, Stella experienced high levels of anxiety as she prepared for a trial, just a day after her birthday. Stella is being sued by a beauty clinic in Surabaya for defamation.
"So far, I've been pretty calm. Though I'm also rather nervous. I think this is normal, since it's the first time I've dealt with the law. But I try to face it with joy," Stella told The Jakarta Post on April 20.
Stella was reported to the police on allegations of violating the Electronic Information and Transactions Law, a controversial law that critics say makes any criticism communicated online liable for defamation. Stella was summoned after she uploaded a series of Instagram Stories on May 2020 recounting a negative experience she had at a beauty clinic in December 2019.
Angry clinic
In the initial post, Stella posted complaints about going to a clinic for acne issues and ending up with highly inflamed skin. She did this without mentioning a specific clinic, aiming to simply engage with her friends and followers. She then reposted some of the responses, along with photos of her face, showing her clearly irritated skin.
"Though I did upload it to my Instastory, I didn't even mention the name of the clinic or the doctor. I meant to simply share information with other women [who might be interested in their treatment]. Isn't that just normal? Moreover, I also paid the clinic a lot so I might [have recovered eventually],” explained Stella.
One of the doctors from the clinic saw the post and felt that it would risk damaging the clinic’s credibility. By Jan. 11, a court summon arrived at Stella’s home. "I was in a panic. So I immediately tried to find out who reported my account. I found the doctor's Instagram account, and I asked carefully. She replied 'Yes, we, the team of doctors, were offended by your post. That's why we communicated the matters with our lawyers,'" recounts Stella.
