(Reuters) – Indonesia’s communications minister warned on Friday that the government is prepared to shut down social media platform X if it fails to comply with regulations prohibiting adult content. Indonesia, the largest Muslim-majority country globally, strictly prohibits the dissemination of content deemed obscene.
Minister Budi Arie Setiadi informed Reuters that he has already issued a warning letter to X regarding this issue.
“If they do not comply, we will definitely shut down their services,” he stated, citing Indonesia’s electronic information and transaction (ITE) law, which imposes severe penalties, including up to six years in jail, for distributing pornographic material.
His remarks in the interview follow X’s recent policy update allowing consensually produced adult content.
Budi mentioned that X, owned by billionaire Elon Musk, has not yet responded to Indonesia’s warning letter. The government intends to send additional letters before making a final decision on potential closure.
X, formerly known as Twitter, did not respond immediately to Reuters’ request for comment.
Indonesia boasts a significant social media user base, with X counting 24.85 million users in the country, according to Statista.