| By Andi Abdussalam |
Jakarta, Jan 17 (ANTARA) - BlackBerry manufacturer Research In Motion (RIM) has promised to comply with regulations in its operations in Indonesia by filtering access to pornographic websites on its device's browser, setting up a server and providing after sales services. "They met (RIM executives) us at the ministry office before we have a working meeting with the House of Representatives (DPR). They promised to follow regulations in force in Indonesia," Communication and Information Technology Minister Tifatul Sembiring said on Monday. The Indonesian government has since last year repeatedly called on the Canadian firm to set up in Indonesia a server which would enable it to monitor communications by suspected criminals via their BlackBerry smart phones. Based on Law No. 11 / 2008 on Information and Electronics Transactions, each telecommunication operator in Indonesia is required to set up a data center. In the meeting on Monday, RIM agreed to meet the requirements set by the government that they should establish a server and after sales services in Indonesia. "RIM agreed to build a network aggregator for Southeast Asian region in Indonesia. Indonesia is their biggest market base in Southeast Asia and we would like them to set it up here so that it will reduce the BlackBerry tariff here," the minister said. He said that during the meeting the RIM leaders informed they had opened 40 counters in Indonesia to meet the need for after sales services. "This is their claim and we still need to check it in the field," Tifatul said. On the occasion, the minister said that so far RIM had not yet paid taxes for its operations in Indonesia. Finance Minister Agus Martowardojo said he would probe allegations that RIM did not pay tax to the Indonesian government. "To see if there are indeed royalty components or other tax obligations that have not been paid, I will check. If they have indeed not paid we will ask for its collection," he said after a coordinating meeting at his office. The minister however said he had not received yet official reports about it and all possibilities for imposing a fine or a penalty which may be done for the Blackberry producer are still being studied. "I have not received the report. If there are indeed (unpaid taxes) they will be collected including the fines and penalties," he said. The ministry of communications and information estimates the net revenue of Research in Motion in Indonesia reaches Rp2.268 trillion a year. "With collection reaching an average of US$7 per person per month RIM is able to book a net income of Rp189 billion a month or Rp2.268 trillion a year," the ministry's expert staff for communications and mass media, Henry Subiakto, said. As regard to porn contents, Minister Tifatul said that the Indonesian government gave them a five day deadline until January 21, 2011. "If RIM does not comply with our law, we will block Blackberry's internet browsing facility," spokesperson to the ministry Gatot S Dewa Broto said meanwhile. Gatot argued the ultimatum was made due to consideration that the browsing facility in Blackberry had not yet adopt an anti-porn content filtering system. He said the ministry had since August 10, 2010, started to filter all porn sites in 180 Internet Service Provider operating in Indonesia. "We cannot let Blackberry operating in Indonesia without proper filtering system. We are only implementing regulation in this country and does not rely on other interest," Gatot said. The spokesman added if Blackberry's browsing facility was blocked, the government would offer a substitution for the gadget's user to access the internet by activating the GPRS handset system. However, the user must pay an extra charge to access it. According to telecommunication and information expert Roy Suryo, the number of BlackBerry users in Indonesia is about 1.3 million. But the ministry of communications and information noted that there are around three million people in Indonesia that subscribe to RIM, including two million official subscribers and one million "black-market" subscribers. The big number of subscribers has prompted the government to urge RIM to have data center in Indonesia so that it could monitor communications by suspected criminals. Unlike rivals Nokia, Samsung and Apple's iPhone, RIM controls its own networks which handle encrypted messages through centers in Canada and the UK. This has made the BlackBerry and its messenger application highly popular as a secure way to communicate, but has also worried governments, who are not able to tap into the network. Therefore, in August Last year, the Indonesian government urged RIM to set up a data center/server in Indonesia. Indonesia made the request amid reports that the United Arab Emirates (UAE) had recently blocked BlackBerry e-mail, Internet and messaging services. "If RIM does not set up a data center in Indonesia it would be difficult for law enforcement officers to track crime-related communications through BlackBerry hand pones," Minister Tifatul Sembiring said in Magelang, Central Java recently. (T.A014/H-NG/H-YH) 17-01-2011 23:33: |
Senin, 17 Januari 2011
BALCKBERRY WILL FINALLY CLOSE PORN LINK IN INDONESIA
Sabtu, 07 Agustus 2010
BLACKBERRY URGED TO SET UP DATA CENTER
| By Andi Abdussalam |
Jakarta, Aug 7 (ANTARA) - The Indonesian government has repeated its call on the Canadian firm Research In Motion Ltd (RIM) to set up in Indonesia a data center which would enable it to monitor the communications of suspected criminals via their BlackBerry smartphones . "If RIM does not set up a data center in Indonesia it would be difficult for law enforcement officers to track crime-related commuications through BlackBerry hand pones," Informatics and Communications Minister Tifatul Sembiring said in Magelang, Central Java, on Saturday. However, the Indonesian government has not yet received any response from RIM on its request to set up a data center in the country. "We have so far not received any response but we continue to communicate with them and I think they are still processing it," Minister Tifatul Sembiring said. Indonesia made the request amid reports that the United Arab Emirates (UAE) had recently blocked BlackBerry e-mail, Internet and messaging services. India and Saudi Arabia have announced they might take the same steps and impose bans of their own. Unlike rivals Nokia, Samsung and Apple's iPhone, RIM controls its own networks which handle encrypted messages through centers in Canada and the UK. This has made the BlackBerry and its messenger application highly popular as a secure way to communicate, but has also worried governments, who are not able to tap into the network. Thus, there was speculation that Indonesia would follow the UAE's step in blocking the BlackBerry internet access, though the government was quick to deny it. An official from the Indonesian Telecommunications Regulatory Body (BRTI), an independent regulator, was quoted as saying by the Jakarta Post on Wednesday that such a ban was being considered. Telematics expert Roy Suryo said there was no need for the Indonesian government to ban or restrict the use of BlackBerry hand phones as the United Arab Emirates and other Middle East countries had done. "There is no need for the government to block it. Instead, it should create conditions that enable users to take careful and anticipatory measures with regard to the possibility of certain people using BlackBerry as a device for negative acts," Roy Suryo said. Roy Suryo, who is also a member of the House of Representatives (DPR)'s Commission I for information affairs, said there were many laws that could be used by the government to supervise, control and tighten the use of BlackBerry hand phones in the country. He said the government could reinforce its intelligence technology to carry out supervision. It should not create unrest among users. The government should increase the number of BlackBerry users to increase state income. "The number of BlackBerry users in Indonesia at present is 1.3 million. This should be increased in order to strengthen our bargaining position. If our bargaining position is strong we will have significant power to urge RIM to set up a data center in Indonesia," Roy Suryo said. On Wednesday, an official from the BRTI said a ban was being considered after India and Saudi Arabia announced they might take steps similar to the UAE and issue bans of their own. Minister Tifatul Sembirirng however was quick to clear up the misunderstanding, saying that Indonesia had merely demanded that RIM provide a data center in Jakarta. "There is no plan for a ban. We're not going to follow the UAE regarding BlackBerrys," Tifatul Sembiring said. He said that Indonesia had asked RIM to set up a data center but so far RIM had not yet responded to the request. The minister said that based on Law No. 11 / 2008 on Information and Electronics Transactions, each telecommunication operator in Indonesia is required to set up a data center. He said that international banks which had opened services in Indonesia were also required to establish a data center because it was needed in investigations into corruption cases. "Indonesia will face difficulties to investigate an alleged corruption case if international banks do not have data centers in the country. If data centers are available, law enforcers can carry out legal intervention," the minister said. He said that his ministry had written to BlackBerry about its obligation to set up a server in Indonesia because it was also operating in Indonesia. Besides, he said, the establishment of a data center would enable Indonesia to earn an income from non-tax revenue (PNBP) source. "We have asked BlackBerry to establish a server in Indonesia, or otherwise, Indonesia will not be able to obtain PNBP income. So far, they only use Indonesians to reap profits," the minister said. ***5*** |