Bukan UU ITE, SE Mensos Yang Jadi Dasar Kemenkominfo Selamat Konten 'Mengemis' Di TikTok

Screenshot of the live broadcast of the begging action involving parents on social media of the Tik Tok TM Mud Bath account, accessed in Jakarta, Friday (13/1/2023). (Tik Tok TM Mud Bath account screenshot @intan_komalasari92)

JAKARTA - The Ministry of Communication and Information (Kemenkominfo) uses a Circular Letter from the Minister of Social Affairs as a basis for asking social media platforms to remove begging content online.

The Ministry of Communication and Information, said Director General of Information and Public Communication Usman Kansong, does not use the Electronic Information and Transactions Law (UU ITE) as the main basis for the online begging case.

"That's gray, so if the ITE Law and PP 71 2019 regulate it, the outline is that their language is prohibited content," said Usman as quoted by Antara, Tuesday, January 24.

Content prohibited in the law is pornography, terrorism, and radicalism.

"Online gambling is clearly prohibited, now this one (online begging) is indeed gray," said Usman.

Usman said that his party referred to a study from the Ministry of Social Affairs in the online begging case.

Recently, Minister of Social Affairs Tri Rismaharini issued a circular addressed to local governments to take action against the online beggar phenomenon that is rife in the TikTok application.

The circular letter numbered 2 of 2023 concerning Control of Exploitation Activities and/or Beggaring Activities that take advantage of the Elderly, Children, Persons with Disabilities, and/or Other Vulnerable Groups.

"In the Criminal Code there is that begging in public is prohibited, but we do not yet know whether there includes begging online," added Usman.

Currently, the Ministry of Communication and Information is still trying to monitor similar content on each social media platform.

With a circular from the Ministry of Social Affairs, Kominfo uses it as a legal basis to ask social media platforms to remove similar content that appears.

Recently, Tiktok has removed online begging content by men from West Nusa Tenggara at the request of Kominfo.

The Indonesian Broadcasting Commission has also appealed to television stations not to broadcast or invite content creators as guest stars.

The West Nusa Tenggara Regional Police is also reportedly examining the cast and creator of the mud bath with the aim of begging online on TikTok social media.