Friday March 28, 8:16 PM
Indonesian ministry Web site hacked over porn ban
JAKARTA (Reuters) - Hackers have defaced the Web site of
Indonesia's information ministry in response to a government
move to restrict access to pornographic material on the
Internet, an official said on Friday.
Indonesia's parliament on Tuesday passed a new information
bill that criminalises the transmission of pornographic
material on the Web.
The Southeast Asian country has had a vigorous debate over
pornography in recent years, exposing deep divisions in the
Muslim-majority nation.
Hackers on Thursday posted a message on the information
ministry's Web site (http://www.depkominfo.go.id) saying:
"Prove that the law has not been made to cover government
stupidity."
The message was accompanied by a mocked-up photograph of a
local information technology expert, who has been advising the
government on the new law, depicted with a bare chest.
Screenshots of the hacked page were posted on the Detik.com
news Web site and a cyber chat forum.
The message had been removed and the Web site was now
running normally, said Gatot Broto, an official at the
ministry.
The ministry said the law was a response to concerns in
society about the negative impact of pornographic and violent
sites as more Indonesians gain access to the Internet.
Under the law, anyone found guilty of transmitting
pornographic material, false news or racial and religious hate
messages on the Internet could face up to six years in prison
or a fine of 1 billion rupiah ($109,000).
Indonesia's parliament has yet to pass a controversial
pornography bill, which aims to shield the young from
pornographic material and lewd acts.
Earlier draft versions contained provisions that could jail
people for kissing in public and criminalize many forms of art
or traditional culture that hinge on sensuality, sparking
criticism it could curb freedoms and hurt Indonesia's tolerant
tradition.
(Reporting by Ahmad Pathoni; Editing by Ed Davies and Alex
Richardson)
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