On 17 August 2026, a civil society coalition including Remotivi and SAFEnet launched a new reporting mechanism for the public to document content takedowns. The organisations has already documented numerous instances of content being taken down that contain critical narratives or criticism of policies. Such takedowns have proliferated during the presidency of Prabowo and limit online digital expression as all as online civic space.
The civil society coalition considers that Government Regulation (PP) Number 71 of 2019 on the Implementation of Electronic Systems and Transactions (PSTE) serves as the basis for those content takedowns and has filed an application with the Supreme Court for judicial review of the law. They argue that the regulation threatens civil rights and freedoms since it is allows critical content to be categorized as content that disturbs the public.
Frequent content takedowns were already denounced by civil society organisations in 2025 and are part of a broader trend of shrinking space for critical expression. Government representatives, including the Director of Media Ecosystem at the Ministry of Communication and Digital (Kemenkomdigi) continue to justify the takedowns as necessary to regulate the massive flow of information and prevent unrest. Allegations of the regulation being used selectively to restrict criticism are further supported by the lacking enforcement with regard to online gambling or data leaks.
The current vague legal framework for content takedown threatens digital freedoms and creates legal uncertainty, weakening the legal framework for the protection of freedom of expression. The documented instances of takedowns further have a chilling effect leading to decreased public debate and restricted operations of civil society and media in the digital space. The reporting mechanism launched by the civil society collation and the request for a judicial review of PP 71/2019 are therefore important opportunities to strengthen the environment for online expression.