Adi Renaldi – Indonesian singer Kai Mata's first viral moment on social media came four years ago when she posted a video on X (then Twitter). "I am Indonesian, and I am flaming gay," she said, then slammed a proposed law that would force LGBTQIA people into conversion therapy. That bill was shelved after a broad backlash. Now, another planned legislation threatens to curb content from creators such as Kai Mata.

The Indonesian government in May said it would revise a 2002 broadcasting law. The draft bill imposes new restrictions on content that portrays LGBTQIA "behavior," and anything that shows "negative behaviors or lifestyles that could potentially be imitated by the public." The new law would apply to social media and other digital platforms, as well as TV networks, with violations – including hosting creators such as Kai Mata – resulting in fines and cancellation of license. The bill, which also places curbs on the broadcast of investigative journalism, is expected to be passed before outgoing president, Joko Widodo, leaves office this year.

The bill has been widely criticized for its vague and restrictive conditions, with demonstrations by journalists and digital rights activists across Indonesia. "Freedom of expression on the internet will be very limited" if the bill is passed, Yovantra Arief, executive director of media research outlet Remotivi, told Rest of World. "You will not be allowed to show violence, talk about LGBTQIA issues, or drugs. Because they can be deemed as promoting deviant behavior, even if the content is for educational purposes." Representatives, Supratman Andi Agtas, told reporters. Lawmakers would invite input from all stakeholders, he said, without giving further details. Meta and TikTok did not respond to requests for comment from Rest of World. Google declined to comment.

With a population of more than 275 million people, Indonesia is a significant market for social media platforms and streaming services. There are about 120 million Facebook users, nearly 140 million on YouTube, and more than 125 million users on TikTok. At the same time, authorities have been tightening their grip over online content, with laws expediting the removal of posts that "disturb public order" or are considered unlawful, and restricting so-called fake news. The Indonesia Broadcasting Commission (KPI) already heavily censors TV programs and films with adult or LGBTQIA content, including famously blurring a bikini-wearing cartoon character in the kids' series SpongeBob SquarePants.

There are signs of greater tightening. Indonesia's minister of communication and information technology, Budi Arie Setiadi, recently said he would set up a council to monitor "disturbing" social media content and make platforms "more accountable." Budi has also said authorities will block X if it allows pornographic content on the platform in the country. Indonesia prohibits the production and distribution of pornographic content.

The new broadcast bill aims to bring back the authoritarianism of former president Suharto, under whose three-decade rule Indonesian media experienced heavy censorship, Andreas Harsono, a researcher at advocacy group Human Rights Watch, told Rest of World. "This only shows the government is very concerned about investigative journalism and content that criticizes their policies, or can disrupt the status quo," he said. "It also shows how the country is leaning more toward fundamentalism and authoritarianism. Democracy and human rights are under threat."

The proposed bill will give the government more power to silence dissenters and journalists, particularly those who attempt to hold authorities and companies accountable, Evi Mariani, co-founder and executive director of independent media outlet Project Multatuli, told Rest of World. "It is very clear that not only journalists will be threatened, but also those who use social media to voice their concerns," she said.

In particular, the bill will further limit the freedom of expression of queer communities who have found a safe space online to express their identities and voices, even as they face greater persecution in the country, said Harsono. Social media platforms have provided queer people in Indonesia "a wealth of opportunities to increase their visibility and seek acceptance and approval," Suzie Handajani, a professor of anthropology at Universitas Gadjah Mada, wrote in her research paper.

Queer influencers such as Jovi Adhiguna Hunter and Chika Kinsky have gained hundreds of thousands of subscribers on their YouTube channels. For Kai Mata, social media is not only a platform to promote her music – which is often about identity, inclusivity, and compassion – it is also a way to connect with the broader LGBTQIA community, the 26-year-old told Rest of World. "It gives people who feel desperately alone, like I did in my youth, direct access to someone who can remind them of their worth."

Her viral moment four years ago also brought hate speech and death threats on the same social media platforms, and taught her a lesson, she said. "It has slowed down how brazen I am in my online presence. I act with much more caution." Kai Mata also knows how the government operates on censorship: "Whether or not this bill is passed, I know I need to be careful."

For Arisdo Gonzalez, 26, who posts on LGBTQIA health and well-being on TikTok, the new law would curb more than just his freedom of expression, he told Rest of World. "I am concerned ... it would narrow our space for expression," he said. "I would be afraid of producing LGBT+ themed content ... This would also have an impact on my mental health."

[Adi Renaldi is a multimedia journalist based in Jakarta.]

Source: https://restofworld.org/2024/indonesia-broadcasting-law-lgbtqia