Telegram Send Apologize to Indonesia Government

JAKARTA - Indonesian government's plan to block Telegram's which called had multi-content applications containing smelly radicalism and terrorism was answered by Telegram.

Minister of Communications and Informatics (Menkominfo), Rudiantara said he had received an apology from CEO of Telegram, Pavel Durov on Sunday (16/7) morning.

Rudiantara told, Durov has not known that Kominfo has been trying to contact Telegram since 2016. Regardless, Rudiantara appreciates the response from Durov.

"I appreciate response from Pavel Durov and Kominfo will follow up as soon as possible from the technical side of the details so that SOP can be implemented immediately," Rudiantara said as quoted by KompasTekno, Sunday (16/7).

Durov apology at once denies the claims of this Telegram founder who claimed to have never contacted the Indonesian government. Previously, Durov said there was an oddity in blocking Telegram in Indonesia because he never got a request for removal of content or complaints from Kominfo.

Although Telegram's apology has been spoken and accepted by the government, it has not been mentioned when the Telegram blocking will be lifted. The technical steps being prepared by Kominfo have not been disclosed yet.

"We are focused to make technical process as soon as possible," said Rudiantara.

As is known, Pavel Durov through its official Telegram channel on this day lays out three solution points for the government to cancel the blocking of the chat service. The three points are each:

First, blocked all public channels related to terrorism, according to a report from the Ministry of Communications and Informatics (Kemenkominfo).

Secondly, Pavel has contacted Kemenkominfo via e-mail to establish personal communication so that in the future more efficient relating related to the eradication of terrorism content.

Thirdly, Telegram is forming a special team of moderators who understand Indonesian language and culture. That way, reports on terrorist content can be processed more quickly and accurately.

Meanwhile, Head of National Agency for Combating Terrorism (BNPT), Commissioner General Suhardi Alius expects Telegram's application authorities to also block terrorist content in the mobile phone network and clarify standard operating procedures to break the material of radicalism in it.

"That's what we expect from the Telegram authority, there is already recognition from the first concerned refused, therefore we hope there is SOP, more details we asked the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology if not wrong tomorrow," said Suhardi at BNPT office on Monday (17/7).

He said the blocking of telegram applications has been through joint evaluation of all law enforcement officials related led by the Ministry of Communications and Informatics. This is because it proved widely used to spread terrorism content.

Previously, Indonesian government said, blocked Web-based Telegram application only after making a long observation, and it was not an immediate decision.

"Government has conducted a long observation, and we are a nation that prioritizes state security, public security," President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) told the press, Sunday (16/7).

He said thousands of social media accounts have been categorized as potential to disturb the national security.

"There are not only one, two, three, four, five, six, but thousands of them. Therefore, the decision has been made," he said.