1. Internet shutdown in Indonesia:
The New Normal Policy
to Censor Information Online?
Damar Juniarto
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Southeast Asia Freedom of Expression Network
12 OCTOBER 2020
“CYBER-CONTROLS AND CENSORSHIP:
THE END OF DEMOCRATIC SPACE ONLINE?”

2. The strengthening role of the state
in controlling the internet
Online Censorship
Cyber Surveillance
Internet Shutdown
Bandwith throttling
Kill Switch/Switch off
Spyware
Cyber Patrol
Filtering
Blocking website/apps

3. Internet Shutdown
DEFINITION “An internet shutdown is an intentional
disruption of internet or electronic
communications, rendering them
inaccessible or effectively unusable, for a
specific population or within a location,
often to exert control over the flow of
information.” (AccessNow)
OONI/Open Network of Network
Intervention puts online censorship like
blocking apps and websites also forms of
internet shutdown.
ACTOR Government
PURPOSE To control what people say or do.
Over the past 4 years, Internet
shutdowns have become one
of the defining tools of
government repression in
the 21st century.
75
108
188
213
0
50
100
150
200
250
2016 2017 2018 2019
Times

4. Government justification
to order internet shutdown
33
30
24 14 4
43
3
1
2019

5. In Indonesia
TIME TYPE DETAIL LOCATION TRIGGER
22 – 25 May 2019 bandwith
throttling
Blocking of
WhatsApp,
Facebook
Messenger, &
Telegram by
means of DNS on
some ISPs.
National wide Violence protest
after national
election result
19 August – 8 September
2019
bandwith
throttling,
internet
shutdown
No internet
services
Papua and West
Papua Province
Peaceful
demonstrations
to protests over
racism
23 – 28 September 2019 Internet
shutdown
No internet
services
Wamena, Papua Riots

6. Impacts to Society
SME’s online can’t do their business.
No public services
ATM can’t connect to server.
No news is a good news?
BUSINESS
SECTOR
JOURNALISM
PUBLIC
SERVICES
ECONOMY HEALTHCARE

7. Pushback To Internet Shutdown
21/08/2019. 23/08/2019. 26/08/2019. 21/11/2019. 03/06/2020.
ONLINE PETITION
• Launch on
August 21, 2019
• 31,343
signatures
SOMATION
LETTER
• Sent on August
23 & 26, 2019
• Objection letter
submit to MICT
on September 4,
2019
LAW SUIT
• Submit law suit
on 21 Nov 2019
• Registration
Number 230 / G
/ 2019 / PTUN-
JKT
• Court decision
on 3 June 2020
JUDICIAL REVIEW
• Registration
Number 81/PUU-
XVIII/2020
• Court begin in 12
October 2020

8. Uncertainty: will Internet
Shutdown be back again?
• It can happen not only in Jakarta and Papua. Maybe happen
elsewhere in future, as long as there is a (in)formal request and an
extraordinary situation.
• No guarantees of written SOPs in near future.
• Combatting hoaxes with internet shutdown become an instant
solution to quell unrest and suppress the spread of rumours and
hoaxes.

9. Thank you
FOR QUESTIONS:
Damarjuniarto@pm.me