Indonesia warns Meta after illegal gambling content concerns

  • UM News
  • Posted 5 days ago

Meutya Hafid, Indonesia’s communications and digital affairs minister, conducted a surprise inspection in Meta’s Jakarta office on March 4, 2026, after concerns that the platform wasn’t appropriately responding to illegal gambling content. The inspection, together with government monitoring, showed that Meta’s compliance rate with targeting flagged content was only 28.47%, which is one of the 

Meutya Hafid, Indonesia’s communications and digital affairs minister, conducted a surprise inspection in Meta’s Jakarta office on March 4, 2026, after concerns that the platform wasn’t appropriately responding to illegal gambling content.

The inspection, together with government monitoring, showed that Meta’s compliance rate with targeting flagged content was only 28.47%, which is one of the lowest in Indonesia’s digital service providers. The authorities found that most of the problematic content was connected to illegal gambling ads and promotions and DFK content, which includes disinformation, defamation, and hate speech.

It was revealed that illegal gambling ads were being disguised as health advice, lifestyle tips, diabetes treatment, or fruit nutrition, but when users clicked them, they were taken to illegal gambling websites.

Gambling is illegal in Indonesia, and under Article 40 of Law No. 1 of 2024, electronic system operators are required to comply with the country’s regulations and ensure a safe digital environment for users, and the government of Indonesia is arguing that the weak enforcement of digital platforms is the reason why illegal networks are still able to attract new users, which also causes concern about consumer protection and financial exploitation for vulnerable groups.

Additionally, Indonesia is also urging Meta to provide transparency about how content moderation and algorithm systems work, especially in cases involving illegal materials.

 

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