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Netizens say no to govt's planned censorship of Netflix, YouTube
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The Indonesian Broadcasting Commission, which has the authority to recommend banning TV and radio programs, announced last week that it intended to begin monitoring the content of video-streaming websites, specifically naming YouTube and Netflix among its targets. (Bloomberg/-)
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ndonesian movie and video buffs are balking at the government’s plan to begin censoring movies and videos that are being streamed by popular sites such as YouTube and Netflix.
An online petition through change.org with more than 88,000 signatures was presented on Wednesday to the Indonesian Broadasting Commission (KPI), the state body that currently monitors all broadcasting content.
Representatives of Change.org Indonesia argue that these video streaming sites already have an internal mechanism to censor what they deem inappropriate, and that the KPI’s authority does not extend to internet content.
The KPI, which has the authority to recommend banning TV and radio programs, announced last week that it intended to begin monitoring the content of video-streaming websites, specifically naming YouTube and Netflix among its targets. It will recommend removing content it finds unsuitable for Indonesian viewers.
KPI chair Agung Suprio defended the censorship plan to protect viewers from being negatively influenced by provocative content.
“We have to make sure digital content is worth watching, promotes educational values and keeps netizens away from low-quality content,” Agung said.
Streaming websites such as Netflix, YouTube Premium, iFlix, Amazon Prime Video, and Genflix offer millions of Hollywood, Bollywood and Indonesian movie titles. With low monthly fees, users can access any movie in their archives at any time. YouTube is popular for short video clips containing news, information and entertainment.
