Collaboration between the Government and the Private Sector, the Right Step to Secure Digital Space from Gambling
By: Andi Mahesa
Indonesia is currently facing a major challenge in eradicating the increasingly widespread spread of online gambling. Various efforts have been made to overcome this problem, which not only disturbs the public, but also has very detrimental social and economic impacts.
In facing this challenge, the Indonesian government has taken strategic steps, one of which is by collaborating with Google Indonesia. This collaboration aims to strengthen the government’s efforts to block online gambling sites and other related content, as well as to keep the digital space in Indonesia safe, healthy, and productive.
The President of the Republic of Indonesia, Prabowo Subianto, revealed that the government will introduce a Government Regulation (PP) regarding the eradication of online gambling. This shows the government’s seriousness in overcoming the problem that is increasingly worrying the public. According to Prabowo, the fight against online gambling cannot only rely on blocking alone. A more aggressive strategy is needed to ensure that digital platforms comply with existing regulations and to cut off the roots of this illegal practice.
This step has received full support from the Minister of Communication and Information, Meutya Hafid, who explained that the issuance of the PP regarding the eradication of online gambling will be a strong legal basis in combating online gambling. One of the rules in this PP will regulate the blocking of online gambling sites to the banking payment system that functions to support these illegal activities. This is a step forward to create a safer and healthier digital ecosystem in Indonesia.
Cooperation between the government and Google Indonesia is very important in accelerating efforts to block online gambling sites. In this case, Google Indonesia through the sophisticated technology they have, such as machine learning and Artificial Intelligence (AI), has played an active role in supporting the blocking of online gambling sites that continue to grow. Putri Alam, Director of Government Relations and Public Policy at Google Indonesia, said that currently Google Indonesia and the Ministry of Communication and Information continue to work together to eradicate online gambling on the internet.
Every week, Google Indonesia blocks more than 100 thousand online gambling sites (judol). This blocking also includes online gambling advertisements that are scattered on the YouTube application. By utilizing machine learning technology, blocking can be done more effectively without requiring direct direction from the user.
Utilizing technology such as AI-based machine learning allows the system to continue to develop and adapt to new patterns that emerge in online gambling. This makes blocking efforts not only faster, but also more efficient in mitigating the increasingly varied threats of online gambling. This collaboration is clear evidence that technology can be utilized to support government policies in creating a cleaner and safer digital space.
Online gambling has indeed become one of the problems that is difficult to eradicate easily. The uncontrolled spread of online gambling sites, coupled with increasingly rapid technological advances, has made this illegal activity increasingly rampant. Not only websites need to be blocked, but also applications that allow online gambling, as well as advertisements that often appear on various platforms. Therefore, collaboration between the government and technology companies such as Google Indonesia is a very strategic step in dealing with this problem. Blocking carried out with sophisticated technology is more effective and can reach various platforms that may be difficult to monitor manually.
Moreover, through the issuance of the PP that is being prepared, the government shows its commitment to combating online gambling comprehensively. This effort also includes control over the payment system used in online gambling transactions, which is one of the main channels for facilitating these illegal activities. With stricter regulations, it is hoped that the chain between gambling platforms and payment service providers can be broken, thereby reducing the negative impact of online gambling on society.
