Indonesia has blocked the privacy-focused search engine DuckDuckGo following complaints from citizens about the presence of adult video content and online gambling content in its search results.
Given Indonesia’s cultural and religious context as a Muslim-majority country, the government’s decision aligns with its prohibition of gambling and its moral stance against adult content.
In January 2024, Indonesian authorities reported the blocking of nearly 600,000 online gambling portals and the crackdown on 5,000 associated bank accounts. The government has a history of restricting access to numerous adult sites, as well as imposing limitations on platforms like Reddit, Vimeo, Tumblr, Telegram, TikTok, Netflix, and Badoo.
DuckDuckGo has confirmed to Digital Phablet that its search engine is now blocked in Indonesia, with no available recourse to lift the ban. The company explained that DuckDuckGo has been blocked in Indonesia due to the country’s censorship policies. There is currently no way to reverse this, similar to our long-standing block in China.”
Despite the ban on DuckDuckGo, Google Search remains accessible in Indonesia. This suggests that Google may have implemented effective self-censorship mechanisms for its local search engine or that its vast size makes it too disruptive to block.
Many Indonesians have turned to VPN software to bypass government restrictions, although the government plans to block free VPN services, which could make accessing blocked sites more costly.
VPN tools are often used to circumvent censorship enforced by governments and internet service providers. By using VPNs, users can connect through servers in other countries to access DuckDuckGo, but free VPN offerings may soon be removed.
Minister of Communication and Information Budi Arie Setiadi stated that the government plans to restrict access to free VPN tools to control the spread of online gambling. He stated on June 31, 2024, “We will shut down free VPNs to reduce access to networks for the general public to curb the spread of online gambling.”
Setiadi also highlighted the risks associated with free VPN services, including personal data theft, malware infections, and unreliable internet connectivity.