Indonesia Becomes the First Country to Block Grok, Minister of Communication and Information: Global Platforms Must Obey Rules

Minister of Communication and Information Meutya Hafid (photo: Komdigi doc)

JAKARTA - Minister of Communication and Digital Meutya Hafid said that Indonesia became the first country to take steps to block access to Grok on the X platform because of pornographic content.

A few days after the closure, the platform's regional and global representatives came to Indonesia and agreed on changes to the algorithm and the implementation of a special Indonesia geotagging.

According to Meutya, with the number of internet users reaching around 229 million people, Indonesia is not just a market, but a legal jurisdiction that must be respected.

Therefore, he emphasized that global digital platforms operating in Indonesia must comply with national laws and ensure that their algorithms and policies do not harm the Indonesian people.

"The internet is indeed unlimited. But when platforms take traffic and profits from Indonesia, then they must comply with Indonesian law," Meutya said in an official statement quoted on Thursday, February 12.

On the other hand, since October 20, the government has removed around 3 million online gambling content.

PPATK data shows that the value of online gambling transactions has dropped from Rp. 300 trillion to Rp. 150 trillion. According to Meutya, this achievement was born from the joint work of Kemkomdigi and the National Police.

"If it is only closure without law enforcement, there will be no deterrent effect. This is the result of a combination of prevention and law enforcement. Ahead of Ramadan and Eid al-Fitr, I ask for strengthening coordination because the trend of digital fraud usually increases during that period," he said.

Meutya emphasized that the 2026 digital agenda is moving on three focuses, namely connected, growing, and maintained, with close synergy with the Indonesian National Police to ensure that Indonesia's digital space is safe and beneficial for the community.

"Not a single rupiah is worth spending on digital infrastructure if it does not have an impact on growth and does not provide protection for the community," he said.