Censorship as trade barrier Diani Citra  ;   A Fulbright scholar at the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism, US; Currently researching digitalization of television and other related issues

JAKARTA POST,  30 Mei 2014

                                                

                                                                                         

                                                      

Even after the criticism he received for censoring Indonesia’s Internet because of pornography the first time around, Communications and Information Minister Tifatul Sembiring, decided to go for a second run. This time it is Vimeo. Starting from May 11 Indonesian Internet users will no longer be able to access the high-definition video-sharing site, because the site does not prohibit nudity in its “no-pornography” content policy. For the past few years, human rights and democratization seem to have been causes to which Tifatul has turned a blind eye and a deaf ear. Condemnation by angry citizens of his taking away their right to freedom of information has not deterred him from his crusade against pornography. Well, maybe there is one consideration he might pay attention to. Money. Freedom of information is a global currency, and Indonesia is steadily losing in the exchange rate. Many scholars and politicians have buzzed about the arrival of a new economic order, the so-called information economy; an economy that is driven by globalization and powered by information. Despite the continued global domination of retail, oil and gas, car manufacturing and finance, rapid technological development has paved the way for a new industrial sector in the forefront of the world economy and with it a new set of interests. The importance of corporate interests and emphasis on policy-relevant technical expertise extends to the international sphere, where big corporations, especially transnational corporations are the central players in global economic transactions. In 2010, Google took a stand against the Chinese government in front of both houses of the US Congress in favor of Internet freedom, setting a new precedence for the involvement of a transnational corporation in the making of foreign policy. This also marked an important lesson about the world system that is afoot, one that entwines Internet freedom with human rights, corporate interests and international trade. These developments, combined with an international political order that praises economic security above everything else mean the debate over the shifting interests and actors to coincide with these changes grows. If Indonesia wishes to fulfill the dream of being the next emerging economy as heralded by many foreign media and other institutions, it will have to start speaking the language as the market, and that language is openness. If there is something our current government can learn from the authoritarian era of Soeharto, it should be that blatant and arbitrary censorship is bad for business, if we wish to participate to the full extent in the global economy. A regime that had an extensive 32 years experience in controlling the flow of information and suppressing dissent had to acknowledge that, even if it were possible, there would be more economic disadvantages than benefits from restricting the Internet. Oftentimes, it’s not the act of censorship itself. It’s the narrative. In actuality, within the larger discourse of freedom of information, limiting pornography is far down the list of importance in the battle for free speech. But combine that with the case of housewife Prita Mulyasari’s imprisonment over a consumer-rights complaint and the arrest of Benny Handoko for his tweets, Indonesia is sending a chilling message to the global market. The Indonesian government needs to understand the issue of Internet freedom is complex, one that is not simply subject to morals and decency. Internet freedom is crucial to commercial interests and this notion has become even more true in the information age where media and information communication technology companies become increasingly significant to the economy and who depend on continued access to international markets to grow their business. Internet freedom includes a promise that makes it more palatable to other governments who might otherwise have political inclinations to limit it — the promise of global economic growth spurred by the access and innovation the Internet affords. Telecommunications was one of the few sectors that experienced global growth in 2009. Indonesia is one of many countries that are tapping that growth. Last year Indonesia ratified the agreement with the International Telecommunication Union to digitalize its broadcast system by 2018. This technology will free a large section of the spectrum that will be used to support and expand the capabilities of digital technology. Billions of rupiah will be invested to build new digital infrastructure and wares. Our industry will also have to invest in a complete makeover of its hardware and equipment at vast expense. Throwing an incredible amount of money to be a part of the 21st century information economy seems to be the step that our government is taking, so why aren’t we pushing for an information policy that follows suit? ●