Jakarta, Indonesia Sentinel — Indonesia’s Coordinating Ministry for Political, Legal and Security Affairs (Kemenko Polkam) announced two key measures to step up its fight against illegal online gambling: strengthening content-blocking technology and drafting regulations on the use of Virtual Private Networks (VPNs), which are often used to access banned sites.
The government stressed its commitment to curbing online gambling, which officials say has become increasingly troubling for the public.
“Our targets are twofold: an effective blocking system and clear regulations on VPNs,” said Syaiful Garyadi, Deputy Assistant for Data Protection and Electronic Transactions at the ministry, in a press statement on Friday (August 15).
Syaiful noted that online gambling has become one of the ministry’s main priorities, with weekly evaluation reports delivered directly to Coordinating Minister Gen. (Ret.) Budi Gunawan.
Currently, the Ministry of Communication and Digital Affairs (Komdigi) is spearheading site takedowns, blocking between 5,000 and 9,000 illegal pages per week. But new sites often reappear just as quickly.
“Our colleagues at Komdigi are like firefighters, putting out the flames while the source of the fire never stops,” Syaiful said.
He added that alongside blocking efforts, the government is closely monitoring the widespread use of VPNs, which are commonly used to bypass restrictions and access illegal content, including gambling and pornography. So far, Indonesia has yet to issue specific regulations governing VPN use.
Read Also:
Indonesia State Food Agency to Bar Online Gambling Participants from Receiving Rice Aid
Prof. Sinta Dewi Rosadi, a professor of technology law at Padjadjaran University has cautioned that while most Indonesians use Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) for entertainment and social media, about 30% rely on them to access restricted content, a trend that poses significant risks, especially for vulnerable groups.
“Data shows that most online gamblers earn less than 5 million rupiah ($310) a month, and there is a possibility that children are also involved. Protecting these groups must be taken very seriously,” said Prof. Sinta Dewi Rosadi.
Ashwin Sasongko Sastrosubroto, a member of the National ICT Council Implementation Team, added that blocking illegal sites is technically challenging, as many disguise themselves with professional-looking interfaces or quickly shift to new domains. He also pointed to the large number of Internet Service Providers (ISPs) and Network Access Points (NAPs) in Indonesia, which complicates monitoring.
“Security and convenience often contradict each other. The safer it gets, the less convenient it becomes and vice versa,” he said.
The government has set a target of producing concrete recommendations on more effective blocking technology and clear regulations on VPN usage, aiming to significantly reduce illegal online content and minimize the social impact of online gambling.
(Raidi/Agung)
