2-8-2024 (JAKARTA)Â Indonesia has announced a ban on the privacy-oriented search engine DuckDuckGo. The decision, revealed by the country’s communications ministry on Friday, cites concerns over the platform’s potential to facilitate access to pornography and online gambling websites, both of which are illegal in the Southeast Asian nation.
Indonesia, home to the world’s largest Muslim population, has long maintained stringent regulations governing online content. The country’s strict laws prohibit the dissemination of material deemed obscene, a stance that has previously led to the blocking of popular platforms such as Reddit and Vimeo.
Usman Kansong, a senior official at the communications ministry, shed light on the rationale behind the decision. Speaking to Reuters, he stated, “The ban on DuckDuckGo stems from numerous complaints we’ve received regarding the prevalence of online gambling and pornographic content in its search results.”
The Pennsylvania-based and privately-owned DuckDuckGo has yet to respond to requests for comment, as the announcement came outside of normal US business hours.
Interestingly, the ministry did not elaborate on how DuckDuckGo’s functionality differs from other search engines, such as the widely-used Google. However, DuckDuckGo’s website prominently features its commitment to user privacy, offering a range of products designed to “help people protect their online privacy”. This focus on privacy has earned the search engine praise from digital rights advocates.
The ban on DuckDuckGo is part of a broader crackdown on online gambling in Indonesia. In recent months, the government has intensified its efforts to combat this issue, blocking access to numerous gambling websites. Despite being illegal, government data reveals that an estimated 3 million Indonesians engaged in online gambling last year, spending a staggering US$20 billion – equivalent to approximately 1.5 per cent of the country’s gross domestic product.
