RIM Blocks Porn on BlackBerry Smartphones in Indonesia...

All hail to the Anti-Pornography King, TitS!

TitS (aka Tifatul Sembiring) has seemingly won the battle with RIM. RIM have not only agreed to block pornography from their BlackBerry Smartphones, but they have gone even further by simply adopting the filtering system developed by the Nawala Project.

This filtering system blocks out all content that is considered to be not only pornographic, but that content that is considered to be related to gambling, phishing / malware, and SARA (this is a term that relates to anything involving religion, ethnicity, race, or inter-group relations). The filter is very broad, which means that many Indonesians will not be able to access sites through their BlackBerry devices that are harmless.

It must be pointed out that the Nawala project is an Indonesia created open-source filtering service that has been in operation since 2009. It is the filtering service of choice for all of Indonesia's telecommunications providers, and it is the one that is being touted by the Ministry of Communication and Information.

The use of the Nawala Project filtering system by RIM is a cost-effective way of meeting the demands for a porn filter from the Minister for [Mis]Communication and [Mis]Information. It is cost effective because it is open-source and it is free. Although, it would seem that Irwin Day, Deputy Head of Public Relations at the Nawala Project, is contemplating that RIM might make some financial contribution to the ongoing development of the technology.

What's next? Well, the porn filter issue was really only a pre-cursor to a much larger battle in TitS' war against RIM. The Minister wants a server, or at least an aggregator, to be built in Indonesia. The rationale is a simple one; Indonesia is the biggest user of RIM BlackBerry devices in Southeast Asia and has earned the right to have the server / aggregator built in Indonesia. For Indonesian subscribers, the belief is that a server here will reduce BlackBerry tariffs. In contrast, the Minister wants the RIM server here because he believes that it will make it easier for his Ministry to track corruption and terrorism suspects and their communications.

If RIM stands true to form then it would be reasonable to expect them to fold on that demand as well. I wonder how long it will be before RIM and its Managing Director for this part of the world, Gregory Wade, are announcing their plans to build a server in Jakarta?

If TitS is giving all his praise to Allah for allowing him a victory in the filter battles, then one can only imagine how much beside himself he will be when RIM announces that it is building a server in Indonesia. It might just be enough to send him into the arms of Vicky Vette and another happy ending!

Then again, one day, and perhaps one day soon, TitS will realise that for all his small victories in battles on the war on porn that he is fighting a losing fight. Internet pornography will always be there as will those with an appetite for it and the desire to develop mechanisms to access it. The porn industry is very much like Medusa's head in that for every snake you cut off, another one grows back in its place (I am sure someone is going to want to argue the point about severing Medusa's head altogether, right?).

TitS: Kena Deh...

A recent viewpoint from the Economist "In Praise of a Twit" must be a high water mark in Indonesian history for a serving minister of the Indonesian government. But, when one thinks about it, it is a wonder that it has taken this long for Tifatul Sembiring (aka TitS) to be recognised for his wonderful work. TitS is desperate to always be relevant and this is the driving force in his populist nationalist rhetoric invading the Twitter-sphere (the picture reflects his desire to his need to be relevant!)

TitS has a skill that many Indonesian politicians crave for but rarely achieve, the ability to unite liberals and conservatives alike. Sadly, this is not uniting them together but positioning them as diametrically opposed extremes on the pornography debate. There really seems to be little middle ground here as the debate has morphed into one of "you are either with us or you are against us".

There has been plenty of commentary about the TitS vs. RIM / BlackBerry shenanigans. One of the best pieces has been written by Treespotter. It is in Indonesian which makes it for an Indonesian-reading audience. However, many of the points have been made by him in the past in English and you will also find many of those points here.

It appears that TitS has had a bit of a victory. RIM the makers of the BlackBerry Smartphone have agreed to block porn on their devices for the Indonesian market. RIM will be up for considerable expense in reconfiguring their devices to comply with the TitS demand. However, it is worth noting that this has to be done in conjunction with the local providers of BlackBerry services. It will be interesting to see how much of the "cost" local providers are willing to bear in order to see compliance happen. Or is the expectation that RIM will cover all the costs?

Some would consider this victory one for censorship and perhaps point out that this reflects the growing power of more conservative Islamic political forces. To be honest, I am not sure that the arguments here are being made on purely religious or political grounds. Anyways, a Google search using the terms BlackBerry, Islam, and Censorship turned up this image (no offense intended so hopefully none is taken).

Once again, RIM should have just stood its ground and said "No". If TitS had of pushed through with his ban he would have only ensured his legacy as a good source of comedic material for comedians around the world, including the likes of Stephen Colbert, Jon Stewart, David Letterman, Jay Leno and the like in the US. I am sure there are comedians in Europe who are also "taking the piss". But, even more so, all of the politicians and other high-ranking public officials would have begun jumping up and down demanding that TitS pull his head in and do something worthwhile with his time as it is becoming increasingly obvious that the man is getting blinded by the sunshine that he thinks is shining out of his arse.

The reality is that even if RIM blocks porn to its BlackBerry devices there is going to be a negligible effect on overall supply of pornography to the Indonesian consumer. Let's face it, people can still go down to Block M or over to Glodok and buy pirated local and foreign pornographic DVDs until their collective hearts are content or stop beating because of the shock of the sudden release of all that sexual tension. The truly sad thing is that TitS still does not get that a national internet filter is not ever going to happen until such time as their is only one government controlled entry point to the Indonesian marketplace.

Probably more worrisome than RIM's capitulation on the porn filters is that TitS is touting that RIM has also agreed to allow the Indonesian government to intercept messages and other communications on BlackBerry devices. There is no need for BlackBerry to make any such concessions to TitS. The reality is that if there was a lawful reason for an interception to occur then a warrant issued by a legitimate court would see RIM comply. Besides, there is little doubt that Indonesia has agencies both public and spook-like that would already  have the capabilities to intercept communications without the communicator knowing about it so there really is no need or reason for the Minister of [Mis]Communication and [Mis]Information to have this power as well.

There will be a time in the future, perhaps it is now, that Indonesians when they think of TitS will collectively sigh and say in a most colloquial of ways "kena deh!"

Is The Fight Against RIM More Than Just Porn?

The Jakarta Globe is reporting that the Minister for [Mis]Communication and [Mis]Information, Tifatul Sembiring (or as I prefer to call him, "TitS") has moved his anti-RIM and anti-BlackBerry fight to an argument that is "more than just about porn". And, he is telling the truth.

The Minister's campaign against RIM is about beating RIM into submission. It is all about control. TitS problem with RIM is that he cannot control it. The fact that he cannot control RIM or how people use their BlackBerry Smartphones is a threat. In the TitS world this is a threat against the unity of the Republic, it is a threat to the political and corporate elite that "run" the show in Indonesia in part to the ability to control the president and organise SBY's agenda. The TitS view is that social networking and the internet are threats to the controlled democracy that Indonesia currently enjoys.

A TitS reality is that if he does not control upstart foreign infidels like RIM then there will be significant repercussions for Indonesia that are not natural disasters (currently linked to viewing too much porn) such as a people-centered democracy as opposed to a political and business elite-centered democracy where the rich get ever so much richer and the rest can do whatever they want so long as it is not social networking.

If you want to see how much of a threat the social networking phenomenon is to Indonesia in the eyes of the National Security Council (Dewan Ketahanan Nasional / Wantannas) then follow this link (unfortunately it is in Indonesian). This is a Terms of Reference (TOR) document for meeting held early 2010.

So, the fact that TitS is now playing the nationalism card is not surprising. In fact, it is long overdue. The best way to turn public opinion is to play to one's sense of nationalistic pride and make the foreigners the bad people who are only in Indonesia to rape and pillage in a vein similar to what the Dutch did when they were the colonial masters of the Dutch East Indies universe. It is a standard game of "us" and "them" rhetoric that is designed to deceive Indonesians to give up voluntarily their freedom to access information in a manner that is difficult for the Indonesian authorities to monitor.

The reality is that a legitimate request for information from RIM or to track corruption or terrorist suspects through the RIM servers would more than likely be granted. The need for a RIM server in Indonesia is nothing more than "big brother" wanting to be able to go in without legitimate reasons to track the activities of every day Indonesians going about their business.

The suggestion yesterday that RIM was stealing the wealth of Indonesian citizens because it did not pay taxes or have business investment such as servers in Indonesia is absurd. RIM provides a service you pay for it, and you get what you pay for. RIM is not stealing from ordinary Indonesians. I am all for finding a way that allows Indonesians to benefit from RIM expertise through employment and the like. Perhaps, a start is the service center. But, the threat to shut RIM down is silly.

It would have been fun to watch RIM tell TitS that they were not going to comply; call his bluff. If TitS had the testicular fortitude to shut RIM down then all hell would break loose down Senayan way as all the BlackBerry using politicians and party appartchiks found themselves carrying round a useless piece of technology.

Yes, Minister, this confrontation is about more than just porn. This shakedown is about the sort of freedoms and democracy that Indonesians want to enjoy in the future. It is about whether Indonesians are allowed to utilise the Internet on their own terms and social network freely or submit to your terms of control.

Is the TitS plan the first step along the path to the dark abyss?

Indonesia vs. Gayus...

I will leave it up to you to decide which one is Indonesia and which one is Gayus Tambunan. Or is this RIM and Tifatul Sembiring (TitS)?

Is RIM really going to get away with the cheese?

Thanks to Enver Arslan who has these stop photography images on his posterous page. And, also, thanks to @BrettMcGuire for letting me know about these amazing photos.

Twitter or a Press Conference?

The Minister for [Mis]Communication and [Mis]Information has decided, seemingly, that the best way to get his message out is via Twitter as opposed to holding the traditional press conference.

The basic thrust of Tifatul Sembiring's (TitS) argument is taken on a decidedly nationalistic fervour. It now seems that the Minister feels it is time that this foreign infidel who is raping and pillaging the resources of Indonesia needs to be made an example of. It would seem that TitS is now arguing that Indonesians have lost the plot. Why would you want to defend a foreign economic invader like RIM who gives you a small piece of cake to placate you rather than defend the rights of your fellow citizens?

To make his point, TitS has now made the tax argument. RIM does not pay taxes in Indonesia but does help itself on average to USD 7 per customer or some IDR 189 billion per month. The Minister's argument is that this equates to RIM stealing the money of ordinary Indonesians.

The standard porn causes natural disasters is also a point in the TitS Manifesto.

It would have been interesting if RIM had have stood their ground. A ban of BlackBerry services would have undoubtedly seen some very irritated and upset politicians carrying useless pieces of telecommunications equipment.

I have no problem with the principle that foreign businesses must follow the prevailing laws and regulations of the country where they are operating. I do wonder though whether RIM is the right target for this particular fight.

Anyways, here are a few screen captures of the Minister's choice Tweets.

Nationalism vs. RIM and BlackBerry...

There is one thing that Tifatul Sembiring (aka TitS) is good for; material for blogposts! The Minister for [Mis]Communication and [Mis]Information has decided that he will appeal to Indonesians sense of nationalism. The thrust of the TitS argument is now one that says "if you are a good Indonesian, and a nationalist one to boot, then you must agree with him on all things RIM and BlackBerry related". Maybe TitS should think about getting some t-shirts made up for his followers to wear in support of his nationalism drive.

The porn issues aside, this whole TitS crusade is about getting RIM to agree to set up servers, database centres and, at least, repeaters in Indonesia. The Minister is convinced that this will allow Indonesian authorities to monitor what its 2 million or so BlackBerry users are doing and saying with their Smartphones. The official line is that this is about helping Indonesia in its fight against corruption, an honourable cause for sure. However, the reality is that this is more about spying and eavesdropping on Indonesian citizens , it is really about the heavy-hand of big brother residing in the shadows and dark abysses of the Internet, it is about control of the populace, it is a cynical attempt to allow government to invade individuals private and personal space.

I was being somewhat flippant yesterday when suggesting that nationalisation might be on the agenda. Nevertheless, the rhetoric seems to suggest that any RIM facility that opens in Indonesia must allow for a majority of Indonesian content, must employ Indonesians, and although not explicitly stated yet, some degree of Indonesian ownership of the local subsidiary. Perhaps, then, the nationalisation of the local subsidiary would not be such a far-fetched proposition.

But, I digress...

What I am wondering is whether the minister has any statistics to support the assertion that BlackBerry Smartphones are primarily used for surfing the Internet for pornography as opposed to their primary design function of facilitating the ability to do business easily?

I have never owned a BlackBerry, and unless RIM was to contact me and offer to give me one for free to review, then I am unlikely to ever own one. But, even those that do not own BlackBerry phones should be alarmed at the Minister's moves against RIM. The simple truth here is that this is just the first step. If TitS is allowed to run roughshod over BlackBerry users then it is only a matter of time before he sets his sights on other Smartphones.

Ho hum...

Telkomsel and Excelcomindo Get on Board the TitS Bandwagon...

In a victory for ignorance and stupidity, Telkomsel and Excelcomindo have decided to jump on board the TitS Express to "Insanityville". TitS has been waging a "War Against Porn". The main thrust of his current strategy is to shut down access to any site or material that he determines is offensive and undermines the morals of the Republic of Indonesia. So, Research In Motion (RIM), the makers of BlackBerry Smartphones, is now in his sites.

The Minister for [Mis]Information and [Mis]Communication (photo caption: "nah, I am right-handed and I start like this!") has decided that RIM has two weeks to shut down access to all pornographic sites. Here is my confusion as I sit down typing away while looking at my new mobile phone. I am wondering who is responsible for blocking porn content on my phone if Australia ever gets to the point that Indonesia is at now with TitS? My phone is a HTC and my service is provided by Telstra's Next G network. So, is HTC responsible for blocking porn content that may be accessed through my mobile phone or is that the responsibility of my service provider Telstra?

I would have figured that Telstra would have had to have been the responsible party in this instance. So, if that is the science of the matter then why is TitS so adamant in his pursuit of RIM and their BlackBerry Smartphones? I am no techno wizard, so feel free to jump in and comment.

I wonder if the real issue is not one of nationalisation through creative and novel interpretation of the prevailing laws and regulations, specifically the Pornography and ITE Laws.

I am sure I will get back to TitS and his RIM obsession in the future. Although, the mind boggles, where to from here Mr TitS, porn for the sight-challenged (blind in less politically correct terminology)?

BlackBerry, Blocking Porn, and a Threat from TitS...

Tifatul Sembiring (TitS) has a problem with porn. He does not like it. He wants the porn industry shutdown in Indonesia and he wants to make sure the heathens and infidels in other lands who are the purveyors of porn and hell-bent on the destruction of the Indonesian way of life, can no longer see their objectionable content available to the Indonesian masses who crave it.

According to TitS, his one-man campaign to eradicate porn from Indonesia has successfully seen an 80% reduction in the amount of porn available in Indonesia. Anyways, before hitting the 100% mark TitS has turned his attention to Research In Motion (RIM) the makers of the BlackBerry Smartphone.

TitS has two problems with RIM both are separate yet seemingly related. The first is that TitS wants RIM to set up a server and database in Indonesia. Currently, Indonesians using RIM Smartphones are routed through servers in Canada. The rationale for this first demand is that it will be easier for Indonesia to intercept the encrypted traffic that goes through the local servers than it would be for them in comparison to data going through a Canadian or other off-shore server.

The second issue that TitS has is that RIM has been dragging the chain on agreeing to set up their Smartphones to block pornographic content. The legal basis for the TitS claim is Articles 18 and 19 of the Pornography Law (No. 44 of 2008).

These are clearly two separate issues. Yet, they are linked that a local database and server may make it easier for the heavy-hand of big brother (aka the Indonesian Government) to track (legally intercept?) sex-starved, hot and sweaty, Indonesian consumers of world-wide porn.

Returning to the first issue. RIM heeds to establish a database center and server in Indonesia in order to comply with the prevailing laws and regulations that govern operations in this sector. RIM have been stalling on fulfilling the obligations that the Indonesian government believes RIM has. The latest excuse for avoiding TitS was that it was a public holiday in Canada and therefore they could not attend meetings in Indonesia on a  Canadian Public Holiday. For TitS, this is not good enough and not a legitimate excuse.

If I am not mistaken, the last time I checked the Indonesian Consulate here in Maroubra closed for all the official Indonesian public holidays and all the Australian ones as well. TitS, that is just not good enough, is it?

Anyways, the Minister for [Mis]Communication and [Mis]Information has threatened to shut RIM down in Indonesia if it does not comply in two weeks to, presumably, either demand. How seriously RIM takes this matter might be proportional to how much they value the Indonesian market. Indonesian BlackBerry users account for more than 7% of the total number of BlackBerry users world-wide.

On the blocking of porn. I am no tech wizard and my knowledge is pretty limited. However, I have always been led to believe that "where there is a will, there is a way". In essence, if Indonesians want to access porn then they will always be able to do so. It may require a little more effort and a lot more knowledge to avail one's self of the intricate network of proxy servers that are able to bypass any and all attempts to prohibit access.

If this is true, then irrespective of how one feels about the legitimacy and intent of the efforts of TitS, it would seem that the man is fighting a losing battle. Maybe it is time that TitS took up the long-standing offer of Vicky Vette to burn off some of his pent up frustrations.

Ho hum...

The Job of the White House Spokesperson...

is never done!

Photo of Robert Gibbs doing the BlackBerry thing during a live press conference in Indonesia. My guess is that the news does not stop for anyone. Besides it must be coming around to wake up time on the East Coast of the USA, and you would not want to miss the morning news cycle.

Photo courtesy of Ed Henry (@edhenrycnn) of CNN fame via Twitpic.

No Ban on BlackBerry in Indonesia?

The Ministry of Communication and Information through its spokesperson, Gatot Dewa Broto, stated that there was no plan to ban BlackBerry or its services in Indonesia.

The push from the Ministry is to only get BlackBerry to open a "data center" in Indonesia so that data did not have to be routed through Canada. The rationale here is that this would lower costs for Indonesian consumers and speed up services because data would presumably not have so far to travel to be processed.

I am not techno wizard, but that sounds like waffle to me, particularly in this age of instantaneous technology.

According to the Ministry, there is no urgency to close off the services. So, this must mean that Indonesia does not hold the same national security concerns that the United Arab Emirates (UAE) or Saudi Arabia. Nevertheless, going on past form, it would seem likely that the Government of Indonesia is prepared to threaten to block BlackBerry imports if it does not get its way with a service center. So, it is not beyond the realm of possibility that the Minister TitS and his Ministry will back flip on this and seek to restrict or ban services.

The other possibility here is that the MUI steps in and issues a fatwa prohibiting Muslims from using BlackBerry smartphones because the phones are deemed to be haram in Islam. And, as one of my commenters to a previous post pointed out, the MUI is prepared to consider anything once a request has been made of it. Perhaps Minister TitS could ask the MUI what they think of the current shenanigans.

Time will tell. But, it would not be the first time the Indonesian government has reversed a previously stated position (Indonesia is not alone in the reversing of positions, I have recently been watching a retrospective on recent Australian government reversals on all manner of things - climate change for example).

I am no longer in Indonesia and I am not a BlackBerry owner. However, the associated privacy issues are interesting.

Ho hum...

Indonesia to Ban Blackberries?

The United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia have moved to ban Blackberry messaging, email, and web browsing services. The belief is that the way Research In Motion (RIM), the owner of Blackberry technology, encrypts this information is a serious threat to security.

The suggestion is that terrorists can use Blackberries to wreak havoc and mayhem. Alternatively, this may just be a case of "big brother" wanting to ensure that it has access to every single thing that you do on your mobile.

Not wanting to be left behind in the draconian law stakes, Indonesia is mulling a ban on Blackberry services on the grounds of security. The Indonesian Telecommunication Regulation Authority (BRTI) will be taking the lead in determining whether a ban should be put into place. The idea of a ban is not surprising, and the "national security" card was expected at some point. The move to ban Blackberry services is just part of a much broader assault on the freedoms of ordinary Indonesians to go about their business without government interference.

It should not be to long before all houses are built with glass or perspex walls and curtains are banned in the interests of national security. After all, terrorists might plan their heinous crimes in darkened houses with drawn curtains, and heaven forbid (even with 72 virgins awaiting for some) we cannot have that!

But, on a more serious note, and Blackberry related, it is estimated that there are some 1.2 million Blackberry users in Indonesia. The vast majority of these users are law abiding citizens using their devices for business or pleasure (such as social networking or downloading Indonesian celebrity sex tapes). A ban on Blackberry is likely to encounter stiff resistance, and not only from those downloading porn, but from regular Indonesians who rely on Blackberry services to go about their business. The plan, if it is such, will also harm business and presumably impact on investment.

Interestingly, Barack Obama still uses his Blackberry. My guess is that the encryption services offered by RIM are only the tip of the iceberg on his Blackberry. I would reckon there were probably a couple of addition layers of encryption and other unknown state-of-the-art security features attached to his device.

As an aside, I will need to do a little research. It was not all that long ago that Indonesia was talking about ousting RIM and Blackberry from Indonesia by banning the devices (aka smartphones) if RIM did not open a representative office in Indonesia and go about setting up a mirror site in Indonesia to improve services and decrease end costs to Blackberry users. The research relates to whether that ever went ahead, as my understanding is that there is not a mirror site. I have not read about RIM opening a representative office. I do recall I wrote about this before, so I guess I go back into the RAB files and see what I can come up with.

Anyway, to all my Indonesian followers, friends, and colleagues who are Blackberry users....Big Brother is coming!

Indonesia 1 -- BlackBerry 0 (But Raking It In)

It would seem that Indonesia has won its little spat with Research In Motion (RIM), the maker of BlackBerry smartphones. The Indonesian government threatened to freeze (suspend) the issuance of licenses for new BlackBerry smartphone models until RIM set up an after sales service store in Indonesia. RIM chose to push the government on the issue and did not immediately comply with the directive to do so. The initial spat if you are interested was described here.

Good to its word, the Indonesian government instituted the freeze as threatened, and that suspension on the provision of licenses has now been lifted. It took two months or so, but RIM has established an after sales service center in Indonesia, specifically in Jakarta.

It was always likely that RIM would open an after sales service center somewhere in Indonesia. The numbers warranted it. At the end of 2008 there were about 100,000 BlackBerry owners in Indonesia. This number has climbed to some 500,000 presently and is expected to jump to more than 1,000,000 by the end of the year.

A bigger problem for RIM, and the alleged reason for stalling in opening an after sales service center is the large number of fake or copy BlackBerry devices available in the market. RIM was lobbying for tighter controls on fake goods as a pre-cursor to any service center. To all intents and purposes they did not win on that front.

However, even if 10% of the market is fake BlackBerry devices, then 900,000 real BlackBerry devices in the market would suggest that RIM is doing pretty well.

(Photo courtesy of The Jakarta Globe and Afriadi Hikmal)

The Fate of the Free World and a Blackberry

I am sure that there are good reasons for President Obama to want to keep his Blackberry handy, like keeping in contact with his kids for example or texting Hillary Clinton that the bombing of Iran is an option or similar things. The mere fact that the President is going to continue to use it is tantamount to being a red rag to a bull. Every hacker worth their salt is going to be trying to crack the "big one". Fox News is referring to it as the Holy Grail.

The free world can rest assured that the device must have the best encryption available to human kind loaded onto it. Nevertheless, that is always the challenge that hackers face. So, why should hackers not go after the Presidential Blackberry?

I am sure if you crack the thing and then get found out you will be in for a world of hurt. Nevertheless, your reputation and legend will pretty much proceed you wherever you go. Kevin Mitnick, once acclaimed as the world's greatest hacker, did five years in prison for his hacking activities, but nevertheless seems to think it possible and that a sophisticated hacker is in with a shot at getting in.

According to Mitnick, the weakness might not be the President but rather the circle of people that he communicates with. They presumably will not be as encrypted as the President and therefore seeming more vulnerable to attack.

So, the innocuous SMS of "Dad, where is this secret service dude that is supposed to be picking me up from school" from one of his kids might be just the entry point a hacker needs.

The reality is that now that it has been publicly declared that the President is going to continue to use his Blackberry that there are armies of hackers and code breakers sitting in underground caves in China, Russia, North Korea, and Iran, among other locales, all tasked with a solitary mission, hack into the Presidential Blackberry.

I wonder what the threat is like. Is it conceivable that the fate of the free world can be compromised by the use of a Blackberry?

The mind boggles.