Andi Adam Faturahman, Jakarta – The Journalist Safety Committee (KKJ) has condemned Indonesia's Ministry of Communication and Digital (Komdigi) for requesting the restriction of access to Magdalene's news content on the social media platform Instagram.
KKJ Coordinator Erick Tanjung stated that the restricted news content is part of the publication of the investigation report by the Advocacy Team for Democracy (TAUD) regarding the case of the acid attack on Andrie Yunus, which was published on March 30, 2026.
"As a media company with legal standing that carries out its duties and functions in accordance with the Press Law, Magdalene has the right to seek, process, and disseminate information through all available channels," said Erick via WhatsApp message on Tuesday, April 7, 2026.
He continued that Magdalene has rights guaranteed by the constitution and the Press Law. Therefore, any objections or disputes related to journalistic products must be resolved through the press mechanism, including the right of reply, the right to correction, and complaints to the Press Council.
Without going through this mechanism, Erick stated that Komdigi, or any other party, has essentially disregarded the prevailing press legal system and potentially violated the principle of due process of law in resolving news disputes.
"Any form of news restriction is a violation of Article 4 paragraph (2) juncto Article 18 paragraph (1) of the Press Law," said Erick.
Instead of providing information to the public to encourage transparency in the legal process related to Andrie Yunus, Komdigi has effectively shown serious suppression of press freedom.
"This is a serious threat to press freedom," he said.
KKJ urges Komdigi to immediately stop restricting Magdalene's news publications on social media and provide clarification openly in accordance with the mandate of Constitutional Court Decision Number 81/PUU-XVIII/2020.
Without this transparency, Erick stated that this action could potentially lead to the abuse of authority and excessive censorship in regulating digital space.
"We also urge Meta Indonesia to lift the restriction on Magdalene's content and refrain from similar actions that comply with restriction requests without considering the principles of press freedom and public interest," he said.
Tempo has sent a confirmation request regarding the alleged restriction of Magdalene's media reports to Minister of Komdigi Meutya Hafid and Deputy Minister Nezar Patria.
However, as of the publication of this report, the confirmation message sent via WhatsApp only showed two grey checkmarks, indicating that the message has been delivered but not read.
Source: https://en.tempo.co/read/2096814/kkj-condemns-komdigis-restrictions-on-magdalene-as-unlawfu