Expert: Online Gambling Eradication Team Must Demand Platform Transparency
Jakarta (ANTARA) - Cybersecurity expert from Vaksincom, Alfons Tanujaya, stated that the online gambling eradication team, initiated by the Ministry of Communication and Digital (Kemkomdigi) in collaboration with various platforms, has the duty to demand transparency from platforms regarding their content moderation systems.
According to him, although digital platforms already perform content moderation, it remains insufficient because these platforms hold the data and possess the technical capabilities required to tackle those spreading online gambling content.
“Many parties must take responsibility. However, the greatest leverage lies with the platforms. The root of the problem lies with the bookmakers and affiliates who hide their locations and are difficult to reach. But the platforms provide the stage, possess the data, and have the technical ability to detect it,” said the man, who is also the Vice Chairman of 2 Cyber Security Aptiknas, to ANTUNE on Saturday night.
Alfons noted that this modus operandi occurs because perpetrators promoting online gambling content exploit vulnerabilities in digital platforms, specifically regarding new account creation which only requires an email, allowing for mass account generation.
Furthermore, many organic accounts are being misused after becoming victims of phishing by criminals.
“They post comments using bots via platform APIs or automated browsers with rotating IP blocks to evade restrictions (on comments),” said Alfons.
Moreover, Alfons stated that the emergence of these accounts can actually be detected by digital platforms because they have full access to account owner information, ranging from IP access data to the emails or identities behind those accounts.
Therefore, the Indonesian Government, through the special online gambling eradication team, should be firmer with platforms to ensure they provide data transparency, thereby facilitating government coordination in hunting the perpetrators behind the scenes of online gambling.
“Demand transparency from platforms regarding the effectiveness of moderation, and platforms must provide regular reports. Evidence of moderation and their efforts is required,” he said.
This step must also be accompanied by the closure of accounts serving as funding sources for online gambling perpetrators. It is hoped that when these actions run in tandem, the eradication of online gambling can be achieved nationally.
“We have agreed to form a joint team to address the issue of online gambling on platforms, particularly regarding the recent influx of feedback regarding spam in comments,” said Minister of Communication and Digital Meutya Hafid during a press conference in Jakarta on Tuesday.
She stated that Kemkomdigi is not only involving Meta in the efforts to handle spam comments containing gambling content. Moving forward, the government will also form a joint team involving various other digital platforms.