Antara, Jakarta – The Communication and Digital Affairs (Komdigi) Ministry on Saturday denied imposing restrictions on media coverage of ongoing nationwide protests, as TikTok moved to suspend its livestreaming feature in the country amid escalating violence.
"There are no restrictions. As we can see, media outlets are covering freely, including live reporting," Deputy Minister Nezar Patria told reporters in Cikarang, West Java. He added that the ministry only urged news organizations to avoid content that could provoke anger or worsen tensions.
Nezar stressed the need for "quality journalism" to prevent misinformation and disinformation that could inflame unrest. "There is no censorship. Everything is running as it should. We only call on the media to practice professional journalism in accordance with ethics," he said.
His comments followed speculation on social media about a circular from Jakarta's Regional Broadcasting Commission (KPID) allegedly barring outlets from broadcasting protest coverage. Nezar insisted Komdigi never issued any order to limit coverage.
Meanwhile, TikTok announced it would temporarily disable its TikTok Live feature in Indonesia for several days, citing rising violence during demonstrations in Jakarta and other regions.
"In light of the increasing violence in protests in Indonesia, we are taking additional security measures to keep TikTok a safe and civil space. As part of this measure, we are voluntarily suspending the TikTok LIVE feature for the next few days in Indonesia," TikTok said.
The platform added it is also removing content that violates community guidelines.
Komdigi confirmed that the suspension was TikTok's own initiative. "It was voluntary from TikTok. We appreciate their proactive step," said Alexander Sabar, Komdigi's director general for digital oversight.
Separately, Ubaidillah, chairman of the Indonesian Broadcasting Commission (KPI), affirmed that broadcasters remain free to cover protests as long as they adhere to professional standards. "We fully respect the role of broadcasters in meeting the public's right to information, which is protected by law," he said.
Source: https://jakartaglobe.id/news/govt-denies-media-gag-as-tiktok-suspends-live-amid-protest