By Adedapo Adesanya
Top search engine company, Google, has averted a possible illegal status in Indonesia as it joins the list of tech companies that agreed to a new policy in the country.
In a statement, the Indonesian Ministry of Communication said the company under the Alphabet Inc. umbrella, joined companies like Meta, and Twitter, among others to acquiesce to its new rules.
It, however, warned that companies that had yet to register would be blocked in five working days.
The government had set a Wednesday deadline for companies to sign up (July 20) under rules that were released late in 2020 that will give authorities broad powers to compel platforms to disclose data of certain users and take down content deemed unlawful or that “disturbs public order” within four hours if urgent, and 24 hours if not.
The government said the new rules are intended to ensure a positive online environment but civil society groups and activists kicked against it, saying that it is among the most regressive laws bordering on a threat to freedom of expression.
Google has now joined the growing list of compliant companies, which include Twitter, Zoom, TikTok, Meta’s trio of Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp, among others.
The quick acceptance is coming as Indonesia, which has close to 200 million internet users and a young, social-media savvy population, is a hotspot for the booming Asian tech sector.
Amazon and Alibaba are among the companies that are yet to comply and this could mean a possible boot out of the country.
The Indonesian government is currently trying to reduce the spreading of misinformation and hoaxes, particularly ahead of the country’s general election in 2024.
With the compliance from these companies, they will be able to establish their compliance with a new set of internet rules that will allow the government to control and police online content and tax the sale of digital goods.
Modupe Gbadeyanka