Eradicating Online Gambling and Platform Commitment
Our digital space is currently filled with an ironic sight. On one hand, the Ministry of Communication and Digital Affairs (Komdigi) is aggressively conducting a massive clean-up, taking down millions of online gambling sites, blocking upstream access, and constantly patrolling our cyberspace. Yet, on the other hand, when we open social media—be it Instagram, TikTok, X, or YouTube—the view is starkly contrasting. In the comment sections of viral accounts, public officials, and even news outlets, gambling promotions are scattered endlessly. Using fake accounts with attractive profile pictures, they insert hidden shortlinks leading to the abyss of gambling.
An outraged public often criticises: ‘They said it was eradicated, so why is it still in the comments?’ We must view this phenomenon clearly and objectively. The reality is that cleaning up online gambling in social media comment sections is a completely different battlefield from blocking websites. This is no longer about blocking internet pathways (DNS), but rather the complex governance of the User-Generated Content (UGC) ecosystem involving global technology giants (Big Tech).
Why is eradicating online gambling in comment sections so difficult? There are three main structural and technical root problems. The first is the issue of digital sovereignty: Komdigi’s limited ‘jurisdiction’. The public often misunderstands and assumes Komdigi has a ‘magic button’ to delete anything on the internet. In fact, within the digital architecture, social media comment sections are the ‘private property’ of global platforms like Meta, ByteDance, or Google. Komdigi has full authority at the Internet Service Provider (ISP) and national DNS level to block website domains. However, Komdigi does not have direct access to the internal (backend) systems of social media to automatically delete a comment. There is a fundamental point netizens must understand: criticism is a right, but it must be well-targeted and contextual. Regulation-wise, the government is in the position of a ‘reporter’. If a violation occurs, the government submits a takedown request to the platform. This digital bureaucratic process creates a time-lag. While the letter or report is being processed, the gambling promotion has already been seen by millions of netizens.
The second problem is the war against automated bots and alphanumeric creativity. Why do gambling promotion accounts seem endless? Because the adversary is not human, but machines. Gambling operators use automated bots programmed to scan content hitting the For Your Page (FYP) or trending topics. Once a post gains high traction, within seconds the bot drops hundreds of spam comments. When one account is blocked by the system, the criminals’ algorithm can instantly produce thousands of new accounts using disposable emails. Beyond quantity, they also employ textual camouflage to deceive the platforms’ AI-based Content Moderation Systems. They will not write the words ‘Judi’ or ‘Slot’ vulgarly. They modify them with alphanumeric variations or insert promotional text into small images or infographics that are difficult for the platform’s standard text scanners to read.
The third issue is the gap in understanding local context by global algorithms. This is the biggest criticism for the tech platform giants. Big Tech’s content moderation AI is mostly designed with a global language corpus (English). When faced with local languages, slang, or distinct Indonesian digital metaphors used by gambling promoters, their algorithms are often ‘tone-deaf’. Gambling spam is frequently wrapped in imitation narratives pretending to offer financial aid testimonials, motivation, or giveaways. To the platform’s AI, these comments are considered safe because they do not contain prohibited keywords in their dictionary. As a result, this content slips through automatic filtering and can only be removed after massive manual user reports from netizens.
We cannot continue to burden the government with this downstream issue. Komdigi has worked hard to secure our digital gateway upstream. Now, the spotlight and public pressure must be directed at the global digital platform owners who reap huge profits from traffic in Indonesia. Social media platforms cannot be negligent and hide behind their status as mere ‘container providers’. They have a moral and legal responsibility to ensure their ecosystems are clean from criminal infiltration. If digital platforms can detect copyright infringement in seconds or are highly sensitive to cyberbullying issues, they should also be able to create more adaptive and aggressive algorithms to detect online gambling spam in Indonesia. Eradicating online gambling in comment sections is not the sole task of a single institution. This is an ecosystem effort. While the government shuts off the upstream taps and the public strengthens digital literacy to avoid temptation, digital platforms as the ‘homeowners’ must tighten their fences. Without a progressive commitment from Meta, TikTok, X, and Google to fix their moderation systems in Indonesia, our comment sections will remain a black market for online gambling that destroys the digital public sphere. It is time we demand greater accountability from them.