BLACKBERRY MANUFACTURER AGREES TO SCREEN PORNOGRAPHY CONTENT FOR INDONESIAN USERS

By Ahmad Fuad Yahya

JAKARTA, Jan 18 (Bernama) -- After the Indonesian government threatened to ban
its Internet service, Blackberry manufacturer Research in Motion (RIM) Monday
finally agreed to adhere to the laws of the republic to filter pornographic
content but on several undisclosed conditions.

The agreement was conveyed by RIM Southeast Asia managing director Gregory Wade
at the official meeting between the Canadian company and senior officers of
Indonesia's Communication and Information Ministry here Monday, which is the
last day given to the company to adhere to the regulations.

The company, however, asked for a period of 100 hours or until Jan 21 to start
filtering pornographic content.

The ministry's Information and Public Relations Centre chief, Gatot S Dewa
Broto, said the ministry would scrutinise all the conditions given by RIM.

"We cannot say that RIM has fully complied with the regulations in Indonesia
because we have a different version in terms of commitment," he said.

Meanwhile, Indonesian Communication and Information Minister Tifatul Sembiring
explained in the House of Representatives (DPR) sitting Monday that the ministry
had instructed RIM to revoke its pornography site on the Blackberry service, and
open a data centre in Indonesia for national security purposes.

On pornography issues, Tifatul said RIM had already stated their
agreement in black and white.

Indonesia has underlined eight important matters as conditions for RIM to stay
operational in the republic.

Apart from revocation of pornographic sites and opening of the data
centre, the ministry also asked RIM to open a service centre in Indonesia to provide
after-sales service to its customers.

Blackberry users in the republic now number some three million people.
-- BERNAMA