In relation to online gambling, they all come from overseas
Jakarta (ANTARA) - The Communication and Informatics Ministry will cooperate with cellular operators to handle online gambling content promotion through mass short messages (SMS blasts), including WhatsApp blasts.

The ministry will coordinate with cellular operators so that a system or mechanism can be put in place to prevent WhatsApp and SMS blasts from being used to promote online gambling, Minister Budi Arie Setiadi said during a press conference here on Thursday.

Director General of Informatics Application at the ministry Semuel Abrijani Pangerapan said that the ministry discussed the cooperation plan with cellular operators during a leadership meeting on Thursday morning.

According to Pangerapan, sending an SMS blast has become a new method to promote online gambling. Related parties usually send an SMS blast on the evening before a football match.

In addition to tackling SMS and WhatsApp blasts, the ministry is also taking stringent action to handle the spread of online gambling content through other platforms, including websites and social media.

According to the ministry's records, a total of 846,047 items of online gambling content were taken down in the period from 2018 to July 2023. From July 13–19, 2023, the ministry took down 11,333 online gambling content.

"In relation to online gambling, they all come from overseas. We found that it is usually centered in countries where gambling is regulated, so it is not a violation in their countries," Pangerapan informed.

When it comes to online gambling, the government can block either the domain name or website, block the Internet Protocol (IP) address if it is detected, or block an online gambling application.

"To complement this effort, we also block accounts to narrow their mobility to carry out this illegal activity," he informed.

Pangerapan said that a number of influencers found promoting online gambling on various platforms have also been handled by the police.

He then urged people to report online gambling cases to the authorities.

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Translator: Rizka K, Fadhli Ruhman
Editor: Sri Haryati
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