Minister of Communication and Information Budi Arie Setiadi accompanied by Deputy Minister of Communication and Information Nezar Patria answered media questions, Friday (19/4/2024), at the Ministry of Communication and Information office, Jakarta.
JAKARTA, KOMPAS — The formation of a task force to handle online gambling is planned to be discussed more intensely in the coming week. The public is eagerly awaiting the government’s seriousness in eradicating online gambling after the task force was formed.
“Yesterday (Thursday, 18/4/2024) there was a closed meeting at the Presidential Palace. In the coming week, there will be formulations regarding the steps to conclude the online gambling emergency task force. Therefore, the handling of online gambling must be comprehensive, integrated, and holistic,” said Minister of Communication and Information Technology, Budi Arie Setiadi, to the media on Friday (20/4/2024) in Jakarta.
According to Budi, the formation of a task force to handle online gambling will be under the command of the Coordinating Ministry for Political, Legal, and Security Affairs. Several ministries/institutions will be involved in the task force including the Ministry of Communication and Information, Financial Services Authority, Prosecutor’s Office, and National Police.
The composition of ministries/institutions like that, said Budi, is appropriate because it is in accordance with the authority. For example, the Ministry of Communication and Information deals with actions to reduce or close online gambling content. He said, over the last eight months, the Ministry of Communication and Information has blocked around 1.6 million online gambling content.
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When contacted on Saturday (20/4/2024) in Jakarta, Chairman of the Communication and Information System Security Research Center, Pratama Persadha, stated that aside from optimizing the role of the task force, the government needs to develop a comprehensive plan and strategy to combat online gambling. The government must also have preventive measures such as monitoring and cracking down on online gambling practices from an early stage.
“In addition, optimizing cooperation with various financial institutions is important for the government to track and cut financial routes vulnerable to gambling transactions,” he said.
The involvement of cybersecurity experts in eradicating online gambling is an important step that can increase the effectiveness of the eradication of online gambling. They can help identify security gaps in the digital infrastructure used by online gambling actors. Cybersecurity experts can also assist in conducting digital investigations against online gambling suspects, including tracking the origin of internet protocol addresses used in online gambling practices.
This ministry/institution has the authority to eradicate online gambling. However, the challenge is how far the task force can be effective.
“By enforcing the law to the fullest extent, fairly, and providing a real deterrent effect on online gambling operators, agents, and perpetrators, it is hoped that this can have a preventive effect on the community,” said Pratama.
IT practitioner Alfons Tanujaya, contacted separately, assessed that the composition of ministries/agencies that are mentioned to be involved in the online gambling task force is appropriate for detecting online gambling content and enforcing the law. These ministries/agencies have the authority to eradicate online gambling. However, the challenge is how effective the task force can operate.
“The question is, are you serious about not taking action after the task force was formed?” he said.
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According to Alfons, online gambling practices generally use money for transactions, not just crypto assets. The government and law enforcement officials can actually trace the flow of funds used for transactions.
A journalist recorded the press conference on online gambling cases at the Bareskrim Polri office in Jakarta on Friday (8/9/2023). Bareskrim Polri arrested 11 suspects in an online gambling case in Denpasar, Bali on Thursday (7/9/2023). Among the suspects who managed the Oto88 gambling site, the police confiscated evidence in the form of 12 laptops, 21 cell phones, and one box of SIM cards.
Meanwhile, the Executive Director of Healthy Cyber Indonesia, Ibnu Dwi Cahyo, stated that online gambling is not actually a new phenomenon. However, this phenomenon has become rampant in society since the Covid-19 pandemic.
Online gambling advertisements that previously asked for deposits or top ups of hundreds of thousands to millions of rupiah can now start from IDR 10,000.
At that time, restricted social activities caused internet use to skyrocket. Online gambling advertisements that previously asked for deposits or top ups of hundreds of thousands to millions of rupiah can now start from IDR 10,000. This causes lower middle class people who generally have smartphones but lack financial literacy to become targets for online gambling advertisements.
“The online gambling ads that are now spreading through social media use quite a personal approach, including through accounts that express interest in football. It is up to the task force whether or not to follow the flow of money,” said Ibnu.
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