Jakarta, ThedailyID — Indonesia’s Ministry of Communication and Digital Affairs (Komdigi) has addressed the removal of 486 social media posts linked to demonstrations in late August 2026. Minister Meutya Hafid said the ministry documented its own actions. She also called on social media platforms to explain their independent decisions to the public.
“Whatever Komdigi has done, its accountability is clear and documented by the Komdigi team. Beyond that, we ask the platforms to take responsibility for explaining their actions to the public,” Meutya said on Tuesday, October 27, 2026.
Journalists asked whether Komdigi had requested the removals or whether the platforms had acted independently. Meutya confirmed that the ministry had summoned Meta to discuss the issue. However, she did not reveal the meeting’s outcome.
“Meta was summoned yesterday. We will explain further later,” she said.
Meanwhile, Indonesia’s National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM) is examining the legal basis for the 486 removals. The commission is investigating complaints about alleged restrictions on internet and social media access after the August demonstrations.
Saurlin P. Siagian, a Komnas HAM commissioner overseeing monitoring and investigations, said the commission had questioned three Komdigi representatives in mid-October. The meeting aimed to clarify the allegations.
“They said they did not restrict internet access,” Saurlin told reporters on October 13, according to Antara.
Despite denying internet restrictions, Komdigi acknowledged removing 486 posts on August 27. The ministry said its cyber patrols identified content suspected of violating the law. However, the legal basis for the removals remains under review.
Saurlin said Komnas HAM is examining the removed material. The commission wants to determine whether the ministry had sufficient legal grounds for its actions and whether the removals respected freedom of expression.
Some posts reportedly concerned the demonstrations and the death of a person identified as BS. The content included graphic videos depicting violence against the victim.
Saurlin also explained that social media companies had removed some posts independently. These platforms cited violations of their respective community guidelines.
“Some content about BS’s death went viral. The platform owners also independently removed some posts because they considered them violations of their community guidelines,” Saurlin said.
Komnas HAM continues to examine the circumstances surrounding the removals. Its review aims to clarify which parties initiated the actions and what rules they used to justify them.
The commission has not announced its final findings. The investigation will help establish whether the removals followed applicable laws and respected the public’s right to express opinions online.
