Indonesia Bans Vimeo Over Porn

LOS ANGELES—In Indonesia, nudity is considered pornography, which explains why the government announced on Monday that it was banning video sharing site Vimeo. The extreme position on nudity is courtesy of a 2008 law that, according to the Associated Press, "says pornography includes displays of nudity or nudity-like features, and that all sites in Indonesia are banned from running such materials." Vimeo prohibits sexually explicit content but will allow erotic images. Information and Communication Minister Tiffatul Sembiring explained Monday that he has asked Vimeo to exclude prohibited content, adding, "We hope Vimeo would respond well to our request for stricter content filters for its video materials in Indonesia." But the minister said they were able to identify 15,000 videos tagged as containing nudity, necessitating the ultimate decision. Vimeo was apparently taken by surprise and tweeted, "It seems Vimeo is blocked for some Indonesian users, but it's on the Indonesian side and we can't unblock it." Using Twitter to communicate was ironic, but it also highlights the sticky situation the Indonesian government now finds itself in as it pushes an ultra-conservative agenda that many of its citizens do not support. As the AP notes, "The ban has sparked a public outcry in Indonesia, with Twitter and Facebook exploding with negative comments. Indonesians rank among the world's most prolific users of social media.