Oonagh ReidyEnough is enough: RIM given two weeks to filter internet porn – or face complete blackout – by the Indonesian government.
The Smartphone maker, RIM, has announced it will release filters preventing access to adult material which the government has rendered morally salacious material for the predominantly Muslim population.
“Research In Motion confirms that it shares minister Tifatul Sembiring’s sense of urgency on this matter and it is fully committed to working with Indonesia’s carriers to put in place a prompt, compliant filtering solution for BlackBerry subscribers in Indonesia as soon as possible,” the company said in a statement of intent released yesterday.
The order is part of a wider state censorship drive on porn, which began with the passing of the 2008 anti-porn bill by conservative Islamic ruling party.
The choice given to RIM and other telcos which was basically do it or die, with threat of total Internet cut off for the 2 million Blackberry users looming fast over the Canadian based phone maker.
“We have repeatedly asked them to do it and we have given them some time,” Indonesian Communications and Information Technology Minister Tifatul Sembiring was quoted as saying in the Jakarta Globe on Saturday last.
“If they keep delaying, we will shut down their operation here because they fail to comply with our laws.”
“We’re not negotiating, if RIM does not comply with the rules and laws of Indonesia, enough is enough!”
This marks the latest attempt by government to censor internet content.
Earlier last year, the Australian government proposed banning of images of female genital and other sexual acts.