Faizel Patel, Radio Islam News – 07-11-2017

Indonesia has vowed to block WhatsApp Messenger within 48 hours if the service did not ensure that obscene Graphics Interchange Format (GIF) images were removed.

WhatsApp, which is widely used in Indonesia says message encryption prevented it from monitoring the animated graphics files, known as GIFs that are available on the app through third-party services.

In a statement on Monday WhatsApp says it asked the government instead to work with those providers, which integrate their technology into social media app to allow users to enter keywords to search for GIFs.

News website kompas.com reports the Indonesian Consumers Foundation had urged the communications ministry to block pornographic GIF images accessible via emoticons, complaining that children could easily reach them. 

Third party developers Tenor and Giphy say terms of use for WhatsApp indicate users must be 13 years old

According to research published in May by Tor Project, a nonprofit maker of Web browsing tools, Indonesia’s Internet is partly censored, with access blocked to websites providing criticism of Islam, dating services and sexual content. 

Semuel Pangerapan, a director general at Indonesia’s communications and informatics ministry, says WhatsApp would be blocked within 48 hours unless the images supplied by third parties were taken off the service.

“Yes, true. They have to follow the rules of the host.”

Pangerapan says the ministry has sent three letters to WhatsApp over the issue. 

“They have responded, but asked us to speak directly to the third party. The GIFs appeared in their apps. Why do we have to be the one speaking to the third party? They are supposed to be the ones managing it,” said Pangerapan.

Tenor says it was attempting to release a “fix”, while Giphy did not respond to requests to comment.

Indonesia had 69 million monthly active Facebook users as of the first quarter of 2014, ranking the country fourth globally after the United States, India and Brazil. 

– Reuters 

Twitter: @FaizelPatel143