Twitter blocked in Indonesia after Elon Musk's 'X' rebrand; Here's why-

In a shocking development, Elon Musk's idea renaming of Twitter as 'X' has led to the social media giant being blocked in Indonesia. This decision came due to the country's rigorous laws regulating adult content and gambling.

 

The Ministry of Communication and Informatics in Indonesia identified 'X.com', the domain chosen by Musk for Twitter's rebranding, as a "potential offender" against the nation's laws prohibiting "negative" content like adult material.

 

It is pertinent to mention that the domain had previously been used by websites violating these same laws, leading to the cautionary action by the Indonesian authorities.

 

Usman Kansong, the ministry’s director general of information and public communication, conveyed that the Indonesian government had reached out to Musk’s company for clarity regarding the site's nature. He mentioned that Twitter representatives had promised to send a letter explaining that 'X.com' will be utilized exclusively by Twitter.

 

 

The block resulted in a significant access disruption for approximately 24 million Twitter users in Indonesia. This scenario presents a 'dilemma' for internet users in Indonesia, caught between the freedom of the internet and the need to abide by the country's regulations, influenced to some extent by the dominant religious beliefs in the Muslim-majority nation.

 

Notably, this isn't the first time that popular websites have come under scrutiny in Indonesia. Platforms such as Netflix, Facebook, Google, Instagram, and Twitter had faced the possibility of being blocked if they failed to disclose detailed content descriptions to the ministry by a specified deadline.

 

Twitter’s recent issue in Indonesia is the latest in a series of challenges Musk has had to confront since announcing his ambitious rebranding. Some critics have questioned the rationale behind dropping a globally recognized brand in favour of 'X', Musk's favourite character.