AJI: Minister of Komdigi's Decree 127/2026 Contains Vague Clauses Silencing the Press, Magdalene Becomes Victim
REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA – The Alliance of Independent Journalists (AJI) Indonesia regrets the Ministry of Communication and Digital (Komdigi)’s action in restricting journalistic content from Magdalene on the social media platform Instagram. This is seen as threatening press freedom in Indonesia, given that Magdalene is a press company that should be protected by Law No. 40 of 1999 on the Press.
AJI Indonesia General Chair Nany Afrida considers the case of content restriction by Komdigi as a consequence of the Minister of Komdigi’s Decree No. 127 of 2026 on Electronic Information and/or Electronic Documents Containing Disinformation and/or Hate Speech Content. The issuance of this decree has the potential to threaten press and expression freedom in Indonesia, especially for media using digital platforms to publish investigative news and critical opinions.
“Yet the Press Law has clearly stated that the press must not be subjected to banning, censorship, or broadcasting violations. However, in several cases, digital regulations are used to restrict press freedom, delete journalistic content, and hinder public access to information,” said Nany in her statement quoted by Republika on Thursday (9/4/2026).
She revealed that in the decree signed on 13 March 2026, there are phrases such as “content disturbing society” and “disrupting public order.” These phrases are seen as potentially becoming rubber articles that can be used for any case.
According to Nany, the regulation has the potential to become a censorship tool against information deemed not aligned with the interests of authorities or state administrators. Moreover, its implementation is carried out without an independent and transparent mechanism.
These concerns are deemed proven to have claimed a victim, with Komdigi’s restriction on Magdalene’s journalistic content on Instagram. Yet, the content consists of investigative coverage news on the acid splashing case against Kontras activist Andrie Yunus based on a report from the Advocacy Team for Democracy (TAUD).
“This raises the risk of arbitrary restrictions on journalistic content that is critical of the government or certain parties,” said Nany.
In addition, the absence of press law mechanisms for journalistic content and the non-involvement of the Press Council or independent ethical bodies indicate that legitimate journalistic works can be forced to be removed administratively by digital platforms under pressure from Komdigi.
“Such practices have the potential to violate the press’s right to distribute information and can be categorised as a form of digital banning,” she said.
Therefore, AJI Indonesia demands that the Minister of Komdigi revoke Decree No. 127/2026 of Komdigi. Komdigi is also urged to reopen access to the Instagram account @Magdaleneid.
AJI also encourages the Government to evaluate and revoke Ministerial Decree No. 522 of 2024, as it is no longer in line with the Constitutional Court Decision No. 105/PUU-XXII/2024 on the revision of the ITE Law. Meanwhile, the Press Council is asked to take a stance and provide protection for journalistic content.