AJI Urges Komdigi to Revoke Decree 127/2026, Citing Censorship

The Alliance of Independent Journalists (AJI) has criticised the issuance of Ministerial Decree No. 127/2026 from the Ministry of Communication and Digital Affairs (Komdigi) regarding Electronic Information and/or Electronic Documents Containing Disinformation and/or Hate Speech Content.

AJI Indonesia’s General Chair, Nany Afrida, stated that the issuance of this decree poses a potential threat to press freedom and freedom of expression in Indonesia. “Particularly for media outlets using digital platforms to publish investigative news and critical opinions,” she said in a written statement on Tuesday, 7 April 2026.

Nany remarked that phrases such as “content disturbing society” and “disrupting public order” in the Komdigi decree, signed on 13 March 2026, constitute elastic clauses that can be applied to any case. Without a transparent independent mechanism, this regulation could become a tool for censoring information deemed not aligned with the interests of authorities or state administrators.

AJI noted that the regulation has already claimed a victim: the media outlet Magdalene.id, which faced access restrictions on its Instagram account @magdaleneid on 3 April 2026. The inaccessible content pertained to investigative coverage of the acid attack on Kontras activist Andrie Yunus, based on reports from the Advocacy Team for Democracy (TAUD).

Nevertheless, Nany pointed out, the Press Law explicitly states that the press must not be subjected to gagging, censorship, or broadcasting violations.

“However, in several cases, digital regulations have been used to restrict press freedom, delete journalistic content, and hinder public access to information,” Nany said.

The first point of Komdigi Decree 127/2026 reads: Establishing Electronic Information and/or Electronic Documents containing elements of disinformation and/or hate speech as Electronic Information and/or Electronic Documents categorised as content disturbing society and disrupting public order.

According to Nany, the phrase “electronic information and/or electronic documents categorised as content disturbing society and disrupting public order” opens the door to broad disconnection of information access. It could even lead to broad and subjective interpretations of news content, opinions, or investigative material, especially if the restriction framework is not detailed or stringent.

She also stated that the provision potentially violates Articles 28E and 28F of the 1945 Constitution, as it limits access to information and freedom of expression, particularly if used to restrict criticism of the government or public institutions. Furthermore, it could contravene Article 4 paragraph (1), Article 4 paragraph (3), and Article 18 paragraph (1) of Law No. 40 of 1999 on the Press.

“The absence of clear boundaries could potentially classify journalistic content as something that must be removed,” she said.

The second point of Komdigi Decree 127/2026 stipulates that Private Scope Electronic System Organisers for User Generated Content must carry out access disconnection orders issued by the minister against Electronic Information and/or Electronic Documents containing disinformation and/or hate speech as referred to in the First Dictum, which are urgent and must be handled as soon as possible without delay, no later than 4 (four) hours after receiving the access disconnection order.

Meanwhile, the third and fourth points provide explanations of the second point, regarding the implementation of the rules through the Content Moderation Compliance System (SAMAN).

AJI is concerned that journalistic content or critical information could be misidentified as prohibited categories, thereby limiting citizens’ freedom to obtain important information.

The implementation of SAMAN is also seen as opening opportunities for state intervention in the form of access disconnection to “prohibited” content, without explicit, detailed, and legally accountable parameters. Moreover, the use of the SAMAN system is not explained transparently. The verification and clarification mechanisms are entirely in the hands of the Minister of Komdigi without independent oversight.

“This creates a risk of arbitrary restrictions on journalistic content that is critical of the government or certain parties,” Nany said.

In addition, the absence of press law mechanisms for journalistic content and the lack of involvement of the Press Council or independent ethical bodies indicate that legitimate journalistic works could be administratively forced to be removed by digital platforms under pressure from Komdigi.

“Such practices could potentially violate the press’s right to distribute information and could be categorised as a form of digital gagging,” Nany said.

Therefore, AJI Indonesia has voiced five demands: urging the Minister of Komdigi to revoke Komdigi Decree No. 127/2026, pressing the Ministry of Komdigi to restore access to the @Magdaleneid account, and encouraging the Government to evaluate and revoke Ministerial Decree No. 522/2024 as it is no longer in line with Constitutional Court Decision No. 105/PUU-XXII/2024 on revisions to the ITE Law.

“Then, requesting the Press Council to take a stance and provide protection for journalistic content,” she said.

Previously, the Ministry of Communication and Digital Affairs (Komdigi) issued new regulations related to efforts to address content containing hate speech circulating on social media platforms. According to these regulations, platforms must remove such content within four hours of receiving an access disconnection order.

As quoted from Komdigi’s statement, the government created these regulations considering several factors. One of them is that the dissemination of electronic information and/or electronic documents containing disinformation and/or hate speech in the digital space has the potential to cause public unrest, social polarisation, and tangible negative impacts.

It also causes public panic, disruptions to security and public order, erosion of trust in state institutions. Not only that, content containing hate speech also has the potential to trigger horizontal conflicts between ethnic groups.