The news of blocking applications in Indonesia due to delays in registering PSE (Electronic System Operators) has become news that has been discussed by many countries. The next question is, is Indonesia one of the strictest countries on the internet?
Launching Comparitech, 60% of the world's population is connected to the internet. However, the freedom and openness of using the internet in each country is not the same.
The following is a list of countries with the most stringent internet rules in the world according to Comparitech data updated as of January 2022.
1. North Korea
2. China
3. Iran
4. Belarus
5. Qatar
6. Syria
7. Thailand
8. Turkmenistan
9. United Arab Emirates
In China and Iran, VPNs are basically blocked but some report still being able to access VPNs. As for the countries of Qatar, Syria and Thailand, these countries are known to be quite strict when it comes to regulating political censorship. In Thailand, the prohibition to access pornographic sites is also quite strict, as is the case with the United Arab Emirates.
In addition, the ban on social media is also fairly strict in China, Iran, North Korea and Turkmenistan.
So, what about Indonesia? Indonesia is considered a country that is considered 'medium' in matters of censorship on the internet. The restrictions that exist in Indonesia are most highlighted in terms of political media and social media, while the prohibitions are on pornography and torrenting.
Meanwhile, the neighboring country, Malaysia, is observed to have a darker color on the censorship map in Asia. That means, Malaysia is stricter in dealings on the internet.
