Makassar, South Sulawesi (ANTARA) - The Indonesian Communication and Informatics Ministry had blocked 961,456 accounts in 2018 for carrying negative contents, an official stated.

The accounts belonged to individuals and groups, Hypolitus Layanan, head of the sub-directorate of government and political information and communication of the Communication and Informatics Ministry, stated here, Wednesday.

"Hence, the accounts blocked by the Communication and Informatics Ministry were individual and group accounts as well as websites," Layanan stated while speaking at the University of Hasanudin (Unhas) in Makassar.

The decisions to block the accounts disseminating fake news or hoaxes were made by involving others outside the ministry, he remarked.

The public also filed reports to the ministry concerning accounts considered of having met the criteria to be blocked, he added.

"We received reports from people, and (we) discussed them with the concerned parties, and it was decided together (to block the accounts)," he stated.

The decisions to block accounts were based on article 35 of Law No 11 of 2008 on Electronic Transactions and Information.

The ministry has deployed scrolling Internet machines that can detect pornography and pornoaction contents. Besides this, an anti-hoax site helps to counter false news on the Internet.

"We also provide a facility for netizens to report fake social media accounts or Internet and social media sites allegedly having negative content to Twitter account: @aduankonten, and website: aduankonten.id," he remarked.

Translator: Abdul Kadir, Fardah
Editor: Sri Haryati
Copyright © ANTARA 2019