Indonesia may ban LGBTQ+ content online. What would the impact be?

BERLIN - Indonesia's parliament is debating a bill to ban LGBTQ+ content online which, if passed, could lead to job losses in the media and social media industries, while also restricting the community's access to specialised services such as health.

The third-largest democracy in the world is a big market for digital platforms with 143 million active social media users, more than half of its population. While LGBTQ+ visibility on social media has increased in Indonesia over the past few years, activists say digital threats are on the rise.

Here is what you need to know:

What is it like to be LGBTQ+ in Indonesia?

Homosexuality is a taboo subject in Indonesia where around 90% of its 280 million inhabitants are Muslim and conservative religious groups wield significant influence in politics.

Although same-sex relations are only criminalised in two provinces, Aceh and South Sumatra, most Indonesians hold negative views of LGBTQ+ people - with 92% of them saying in a 2023 survey that they opposed gay marriage.

While LGBTQ+ visibility has increased in the country over the past few years on platforms like YouTube and TikTok, Indonesia has been cracking down on LGBTQ+ content in broadcast and digital media since at least 2008 with measures it says are aimed at fighting pornography and protecting minors.

Between 2016 and 2020, Indonesian authorities blocked at least 169 websites and apps targeting LGBTQ+ users - including gay dating app Grindr, Facebook pages and other online groups - saying they were targeting "pornographic immoral content."

Indonesia’s laws against pornography are also often used to crack down on LGBTQ+ people outside digital spaces.

Indonesian police arrested 56 men in February in what they described as a "gay sex party" in the capital Jakarta, three of whom could face up to 15 years in jail on charges of breaching pornography laws.

How can Indonesia censor LGBTQ+ content online?

Lawmakers are discussing an amendment to the country’s broadcasting law that would widen the Indonesian Broadcasting Commission’s power to censor digital content, from social media to streaming platforms, as well as TV networks.

The legislation would ban LGBTQ+ "behaviour" or "negative behaviour or lifestyles that potentially harm the public" and advocates of the bill say it will protect children.

Those who fail to comply with the proposed restrictions could face fines and their licenses could be revoked.

It is not clear when the bill - which was first introduced in 2024 but later postponed - could be passed, and it is being debated at the same time as another draft law to broaden the police's ability to control and restrict internet access.

What do LGBTQ+ activists say?

LGBTQ+ campaigners say the bill could not only erase sexual and gender minorities' representation in digital media, but also lead to job losses and restrict their access to specialised services aimed at tackling stigma and discrimination.

For example, a 2016 law censoring LGBTQ+ content on radio and television led to many trans people losing their jobs in the entertainment industry, according to Sanggar Swara, an Indonesian trans rights group.

“The media industry is often a source of income for many LGBTI people, especially trans women – they work as make-up artists, fashion designers, stylists,” said Carahanna Marianne Schlovenn, a programme manager at Sanggar Swara.

LGBTQ+ content creators on video sites like YouTube and TikTok, which have 140 and 125 million users in Indonesia respectively, could also be hit.

Activists say online violence and harassment against LGBTQ+ Indonesians has been rising for years – and the law is only likely to exacerbate this at a time when many LGBTQ+ groups are struggling to stay afloat after the U.S. foreign aid freeze.

Many Indonesian LGBTQ+ charities such as Arus Pelangi have set their Instagram profiles to private to protect their work and members from being targeted.

Should LGBTQ+ content be banned from digital platforms, many non-profits may have a harder time advertising their services and reaching those most at risk, said Nono Sugiono, chairperson of Arus Pelangi.

These services range from education and awareness campaigns for the wider public to trainings aimed at trans women struggling to find jobs outside of sex work, as well as HIV prevention services for gay and bisexual men.

(Reporting by Enrique Anarte; Editing by Amruta Byatnal and Ana Nicolaci da Costa)