Indonesia Issues Strong Warning to Meta Over Content Failures

Indonesia's government has delivered a sharp rebuke to Meta for inadequately removing harmful content from its platforms. The tech giant only acted on about 28% of flagged content involving gambling and false information.

JAKARTA – Indonesia’s communications ministry delivered a sharp rebuke to Meta Platforms Inc on Thursday, citing the company’s inadequate efforts to remove harmful content from its social media platforms.

The formal reprimand followed an unexpected visit by Communications and Digital Affairs Minister Meutya Hafid to Meta’s Jakarta headquarters on Wednesday. During the visit, officials expressed frustration with the company’s poor track record in addressing problematic material.

According to ministry officials, Meta has demonstrated insufficient compliance with Indonesian laws designed to combat harmful online content. The company’s platforms – including Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp – have failed to adequately address issues ranging from false information and online gambling to defamatory posts and hate speech.

The statistics paint a concerning picture: Meta took action on merely 28.47% of content that Indonesian authorities had flagged as problematic, particularly material related to gambling and misinformation.

“Disinformation, defamation, and hate content threaten lives in Indonesia, yet Meta has allowed them to persist,” Minister Hafid stated.

Indonesian officials are demanding that Meta enhance its content monitoring capabilities and speed up the process of removing illegal and dangerous material from its platforms.

This latest confrontation follows previous government action from last year, when ministry officials summoned Meta executives along with representatives from other major social media companies, ordering them to improve their content oversight practices.

Meta has not yet provided a response to requests for comment regarding the warning.