Minister of Communications and Information, Rudiantara, has warned Indonesians to uninstall Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) from their devices after the government put an end to the limits that were placed on social media use in response to post-election riots.
Rudiantara cited privacy issues as his main concern.
“The Communications and Information Ministry has called on users of cellular phones and other gadgets to uninstall VPNs to avoid the risk of monitoring, collection, and piracy of their personal data,” said the minister at a press conference on Saturday.
Last week, the General Election Commission, or KPU, declared the official results of the 2019 election, which placed incumbent Joko Widodo ahead of rival Prabowo Subianto. Prabowo’s supporters rampaged along the streets of central Jakarta and clashed with the authorities. Eight people have died, while seven hundred were injured during the street rallies and clashes.
The violent protests led the government to limit the use of social media and instant messaging applications in an attempt to combat hoaxes and provocative postings.
Rudiantara also revealed that the government has declared the current political situation secure enough for Indonesian citizens to exchange photographs and videos via Whatsapp messenger. The minister also warned the people of Indonesia to avoid the spread of hoaxes and hateful content. “Users of instant messaging and file sharing services have to guard the virtual world and use it positively,” the minister cautioned.
Source: The Jakarta Post
Image: Warta Kota