Lawmakers urge government to impose firm sanctions on Meta

Jakarta, Indonesia — Member of the DPR’s Commission I, Iman Sukri, has urged the government to impose strict sanctions on the tech giant Meta due to the low level of compliance by Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp with national regulations, particularly in eradicating online gambling content and digital crime in Indonesia. He said a global platform such as Meta should not feel immune from the law when operating in Indonesia. He added that neglect of national rules risks turning the digital space into fertile ground for illegal activities that harm the wider public.

‘We call on the government to take firm action against Meta, whose compliance with national regulations has been shown to be low. Indonesia has provisions that must be obeyed by all companies without exception,’ he said.

Based on government monitoring data, he said Meta’s compliance in addressing online gambling content findings and other violations was very poor, at only 28.47 percent or not even 30 percent.

He described the figure as a signal of Meta’s weak commitment to maintaining the security of Indonesia’s massive internet user base. He warned that weak independent oversight by platforms could trigger a surge in fraud, disinformation and hate speech.

‘Don’t let digital platforms become spaces for electronic criminals to prey on victims. Sanctions are important to ensure all platforms respect national law and protect the public,’ he said.

Legally, he said, the government has a strong mandate to act. Referencing Article 40 of Law No. 1 of 2024 on the Second Amendment to the Electronic Information and Transactions Act, the government is empowered to prevent and even cut off access to electronic information that violates the law.

He said sanctions are not merely punitive but aim to create a safe, healthy and well-protected digital space in Indonesia. ‘Compliance with national regulations is the absolute responsibility of digital platforms toward the country in which they harvest their markets,’ he added.