Google, YouTube to join RI’s anti-porn crusade

JAKARTA: The Communications and Information Ministry says that it will collaborate with Internet search giant Google and video-sharing site YouTube to block pornographic websites.

Azhar Hasyim, the business director of the ministry’s directorate general for applications and information, said that the ministry had talked with YouTube about the plan and expected to include Google.

Azhar said that with Google, the ministry would provide keywords that the search giant could use to block sites promoting pornography.

“We haven’t talked with Google, but we have with YouTube,” Azhar said as quoted by kompas.com.

The Communications and Information Ministry previously reported that more than 2 million pornographic websites could be accessed inside Indonesia and that 1 million sites, most of which were run by overseas providers, had been blocked on orders from the ministry as of early this month.

Twelve major local ISPs have each reported 2.5 million attempts to access pornographic websites a month, according to the ministry, which claimed it had also received “100 million” public complaints on Internet pornography.

Google declined to respond to a query sent by The Jakarta Post.