Ministry of Communication and Digital Blocks Three Instagram Accounts with Tens of Thousands of Followers for Promoting Online Gambling

Online gambling illustration (photo: NU Online)

JAKARTA - The Ministry of Communication and Digital has again blocked a number of large accounts that promote online gambling, including the Instagram accounts @betawitipster.id (24.7 thousand followers), @polagacorhariini (11 thousand followers), and @mediahiburankita (20.8 thousand followers).

In addition, during November 11-12, 2024 at 06.00 a.m. Western Indonesian Time (WIB), the Directorate of Informatics Application Control (PAI), Kemenkomdigi has blocked 7,598 content related to online gambling. Thus, a total of 277,084 online gambling content has been prosecuted since October 20 until now.

Of that number, 256,102 of the content was distributed via sites and IP. Then 11,661 used the Meta platform, 5,803 in the form of file sharing, 2,329 google/youtube, 1,091 X accounts, 59 Telegram accounts, 38 TikTok accounts and 1 Appstore.

"The government will continue to make various efforts to eradicate anyone or any party that supports online gambling. In any form," said the Director of Media Management (Dir PM) of the Directorate General of Public Information and Communication (Ditjen IKP) of the Ministry of Communication and Information, Nursodik Gunarjo in his official statement.

Nursodik also admitted that his party had succeeded in finding a number of online gambling promotion groups on the Telegram channel and TikTok social media which were increasing.

"We have recommended that they be closed immediately. We are very concerned because the content that is packaged as entertainment for the public turns out to lead users to illegal gambling activities," he said.

Overall from 2017 to November 12, 2024, it was recorded that 5,156,452 gambling contents have been handled by Kemkomdigi. Of that number, 4,438,862 of them are contents distributed via websites and IP.

Then 543,341 perpetrators used the Meta platform, 127,734 in the form of file sharing, 27,851 google/youtube, 17,501 X accounts, 1,005 Telegram accounts, 109 TikTok accounts, 26 Snack Video, 14 Appstore, 6 Line, and 3 Hello App.

On that occasion, Nursodik also emphasized the importance of collaboration in overcoming the problem of online gambling, including involving social institutions, community leaders, technology companies, educational institutions, and the active role of parents and the community.