The Indonesian government is intensifying its crackdown on illegal online gambling activities, recently turning its attention to tech giant Meta, seeking support at the platform level.
During a recent visit to the United States, Puan Maharani, the Speaker of the Indonesian House of Representatives, made a special trip to Meta's headquarters, calling on the company to step up efforts to identify and block content related to gambling, to prevent its spread on Indonesian social platforms.
In the talks, Puan emphasized that online gambling poses a serious threat to the social structure of Indonesia, not only inducing young people to become addicted but also intertwined with transnational criminal activities such as fraud and human trafficking, which must be highly vigilant.
Meta responded positively and revealed that Indonesia is already one of the countries where it blocks the most online gambling content globally, showing its cooperation with Indonesian government policies. Puan pointed out that it is not enough for the government to block websites and social accounts alone; digital platforms like Meta need to take the initiative to reduce the spread of such information from the source, to jointly maintain the health of the online ecosystem.
Currently, the Indonesian Ministry of Communication and Digital Affairs has blocked thousands of websites and communities related to illegal gambling, and the agency for the protection of migrant workers is also continuously monitoring recruitment scams to prevent citizens from being lured to illegal casinos in Cambodia, the Philippines, and other places to engage in "gray industry" work. According to Indonesian law, gambling, whether online or offline, is illegal, and offenders may face heavy fines or even criminal penalties.
This contact between Indonesian high-level officials and Meta not only reflects the government's zero-tolerance attitude towards online gambling but also sends a strong signal that Indonesia is willing to fight cross-border digital crimes through international cooperation. As technological regulation and international collaboration continue to strengthen, Indonesia's actions against illegal gambling networks are expected to enter a new phase.
