Two Held For Spreading Sex Video on Web

http://www.thejakartaglobe.com/home/two-held-for-spreading-sex-video-on-web/381198

As police arrested two people on Thursday believed to have uploaded celebrity sex videos to the Internet, the government announced plans to issue a regulation blocking such “negative content” from the Web within the year.

National Police spokesman Insp. Gen. Edward Aritonang said two people had been arrested on suspicion they were the first to upload videos allegedly featuring three celebrities, which have since gone viral on the Internet.

He declined to provide further details but said a full news conference on the matter would be held today. A police source told the Jakarta Globe the two were arrested in Bandung.

Edward said police had traced the suspects “based on a scientific criminal investigation.” But when asked if police were certain the two arrested were indeed the perpetrators, Edward replied: “It could not be like that. What if they uploaded these videos from your cellphone after they stole it?”

He also said police would summon two of the celebrities purportedly in the videos — Peterpan frontman Nazril “Ariel” Irham and his girlfriend, actress Luna Maya — today for questioning.

“We hope they comply so we can shed come light on this case,” he said, adding police would also announce today whether the two, along with TV presenter Cut Tari, who allegedly also appears in one of the videos, would be named suspects in the case.

Edward warned the public against making similar videos.
“Our investigators can trace the evidence,” he said. “Don’t even think of trying to make a [sex] video. Just take a look in a mirror, if you must.”

Earlier in the day, Communications and Information Technology Minister Tifatul Sembiring said he expected to issue a ministerial regulation blocking “negative content” on the Web this year.

His statement comes a day after legislators asked him to resume work on a draft bill to regulate Internet content. The draft, initially issued for public consultation in February, drew protests over censorship concerns and had been put on the back burner.

Tifatul said comprehensive laws were needed to minimize the distribution of pornography in the country, which required “cooperation from the media and Internet service providers.”

He said the bill would uphold press freedom and its provisions would be “more democratic” than the 2008 Information and Electronic Transactions (ITE) Law.

The draft initially proposed a monitoring team with the power to order ISPs to block sites with content it deemed illegal.

That was revised so the team would instead act on public complaints about offensive content, and would only order ISPs to block Web sites that it felt were displaying material already banned under Indonesian law, Tifatul said.

The team would include civil servants and private sector staff.

“We want to include public [participation] to minimize the distribution of pornographic content online,” Tifatul said, claiming public support for the bill soared following the sex video scandal.

Ahmad Ramli, chairman of the National Legal Development Agency (BPHN), said the 2008 Anti-Pornography Law mandated that the government issue regulations to curb obscene materials.

Tifatul also said that online pornography was restricted under the 1999 Telecommunications Law, and that ISPs must comply.
“There is no need to blacklist them,” he said. “We can just revoke their permits.”

He said the Indonesian Internet Cafe Association could help by encouraging “safe and healthy Internet use,” but it would be no use without the cooperation of ISPs.

“Pornography on the Internet is unrestricted, incredibly unrestricted,” the minister said. “Is this what we want?”

However, Tifatul also said he would prefer campaigning to raise awareness about wholesome use of the Internet rather than conducting a Web crackdown.