Vimeo Refuses to Self-Censor After Indonesia Ban

Jakarta Globe, Benjamin Soloway, May 23, 2014

The Communications Ministry has faced sharp criticism for its decision
to ban popular video sharing site Vimeo. (JG Photo)

Jakarta. Vimeo will not change its policies or censor any content in response to Indonesia’s decision to ban the popular video sharing site.

“We cannot — and do not believe that it is possible to — guarantee that any particular type of content will never be published on Vimeo, whether on a worldwide or country-specific basis,” Vimeo general counsel Michael Cheah wrote in a letter, sent on Wednesday and obtained by the Jakarta Globe on Thursday, to Indonesian director general of informatics applications Heru Tjahjono.

The site has been blocked in the world’s fourth largest country since Communications Minister Tifatul Sembiring on May 12 tweeted from his personal account that the site had violated anti-pornography regulations. But Internet service providers have rolled out the ban haphazardly: Some put it in place while others did not.

Tifatul said the site was banned for hosting pornographic content.

“Vimeo does allow videos that depict nudity and human sexuality in certain [non-pornographic] contexts, such as where depictions might serve an artistic or narrative goal,” Cheah wrote. “Vimeo is not, however, a porn site. We have never permitted pornography.”

The high-definition pioneer has long been a favorite among independent artists, filmmakers and musicians. Some 26 million users have registered with the site, which receives 170 million views per month.

Critics have called the ban a grave threat to free expression, especially at a time of burgeoning success for independent films made in Indonesia.

“There is no place in a democracy for banning the tools that we use for the free exchange of ideas and information, whether Vimeo or other social media,” Joshua Oppenheimer, director of acclaimed documentary “The Act of Killing,” told the Jakarta Globe.

The Ministry of Communications and Information said last Friday that it was open to revoking the ban if the website were able to address the government’s concerns.

“It’s not permanent,” acting ministry spokesman Ismail Cawidu told the state-run Antara News Agency. “We’re only waiting to see a minimum effort to remove the pornographic content.”

The ministry blocked YouTube briefly in 2008, until the site agreed to censor certain videos. But Vimeo, according to the letter, was unwilling to come to a similar accommodation, leaving its future in Indonesia uncertain.

“Vimeo allows people from around the world to share their creative videos,” Cheah wrote. “The ban harms Indonesian creators and users by depriving them of a venue to share and view creative works. We urge the ministry to reconsider its ban of Vimeo.”