STRONG REACTIONS FROM SOUTHEAST ASIAN Administrations
Indonesian Minister of Communications and Informatics ( Kominfo ) Minister Budi Arie Setiadi stated on Wednesday ( Jun 5 ) that X must abide by Indonesian laws and regulations, which, among other things, prohibit the dissemination of pornographic content if it does not want to be sanctioned or blocked.
” All X laws that fight with these guidelines and other relevant laws will still be sanctioned, including blocking and/or sanctions”, Mr Budi said, as quoted by CNN Indonesia.
However, Kominfo’s Director General of Public Information and Communication Usman Kansong told the news channel that the ban of sex is also contained in a number of other Indonesian rules, including the Criminal Code and the Anti-Pornography Law.
” If X violates regulations related to sex … Kominfo can take action from caution, taking down glad to shut access”, said Mr Usman.  ,
However, Malaysia’s Minister of Communications Fahmi Fadzil said that X’s shift” clearly” violated Indonesian laws and thus they were not satisfactory.
He stated in a press conference held after the Cabinet meeting on June 5 that the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) would communicate to X the government’s unwavering support for its most recent policy.  ,
” The MCMC chief operating officer Mohd Ali Hanafiah Mohd Yunus will ensure that all platforms, not just X, understand that certain activities, such as online gambling, dissemination of pornographic materials, and other prohibited content as per our national laws, are not tolerated on these platforms, including those happening on X”, Mr Fahmi was quoted as saying by Bernama.  ,
Separately, a representative from the Philippines ‘ Department of Information and Communications Technology ( DICT) stated in a statement that the change in policy highlights the importance of passing a law that will give local authorities more authority to regulate social media.
” This is a cultural sensitivity issue. According to ABS-CBN News, DICT’s Undersecretary Jeffrey Ian Dy said,” We really need to regulate social media because just because a Western brand thinks this is okay, that does n’t mean it is okay for us.”
The DICT has also stated that it has been advocating for the regulation of social media platforms rather than a complete ban on those sites that violate local laws.  ,