RIM agrees to block porn in Indonesia

Bending over for the censors
By Edward Berridge
Tue Jan 18 2011, 11:45

MOBILE PHONE OUTFIT Research in Motion (RIM) has said that it will obey an Indonesian government order to block access to pornographic websites from its devices.

According to Reuters, Indonesia joined a list of countries including India and Saudi Arabia that have been threatening to shut RIM out of their markets unless the Canadian outfit twists itself into obeying whatever laws they can think of.

Indonesia's Communications and Information Minister Tiffatul Sembiring threatened to block RIM's Internet service if the Canadian firm fails to block access to pornography by January 21.

Sembiring is a "firebrand Islamic conservative", which is remarkably similar to a "firebrand Christian Conservative" in that they are not the sort of people you invite to parties. Sembiring likes social media and is apparently a bit of a twit..

He recently told RIM that it should set up servers in Indonesia, employ more locals and pay the Indonesian government rather than the Canadians who happen to own the company.

Sembiring stopped short of demanding that RIM start calling itself Indonesian or that all its staff should convert, or at least get a puritanical religion, but the spirit was there.

After meeting with Indonesian government officials, Gregory Wade, director of Asia Pacific for RIM said that the company is committed to come up with something that satisfies the requirements