Vimeo logo.
The communications ministry announced that the US-based site would be blocked following the discovery of Vimeo pages with names such as "Art of Nakedness" and "Nudie Cutie", featuring naked and scantily-clad women.
"We have recently received reports from the public about websites carrying negative and pornographic content... One of them is the site Vimeo.com," said the ministry in a statement published late Monday.
The ministry, headed by Communications Minister Tifatul Sembiring who has waged a campaign against illicit material on the Internet, said that Vimeo had been added to a list of 119 other sites banned over content deemed pornographic.
Vimeo said on its Twitter account that the site was "blocked for some Indonesian users, but it's on the Indonesian side and we can't unblock it".
Thanks for the replies — it seems Vimeo is blocked for some Indonesian users, but it’s on the Indonesian side and we can’t unblock it :(
— Vimeo (@Vimeo) May 12, 2014
Other web users still appeared to have access on Tuesday morning but a ministry spokesman said all Internet service providers would have to fall into line with the government order.
Indonesia, the world's most populous Muslim-majority country, introduced a tough anti-pornography law in 2008 that criminalises any work that could be deemed obscene.
Indonesian social media users reacted furiously to the news that the site, which hosts a huge variety of videos uploaded by its members, was being blocked.
"It's insane... The world will laugh at Indonesia for considering Vimeo a pornographic site," said a post on Twitter from Savic Ali.
Another Twitter user, Adi Dzikrullah Bahri, said: "It's a pity... Many people uploaded educational and creative videos on Vimeo."
Guidelines on the Vimeo site say that it "does not allow videos that contain explicit depictions of nudity or sexual acts (in most cases)".
However the website added that it does allow "depictions of nudity and sexuality that serve a clear creative, artistic, aesthetic, or narrative purpose".
In 2011 the maker of BlackBerry smartphones blocked access to pornographic websites in Indonesia after the government threatened to withdraw its operating permit. The ban remains in place.
COMMENTS (15)
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Wow, so naked bodies and the act of sex are evils that need to be fought. Let's all pretend we're born with clothes on and sex and desire is just a rumour naughty people made up.
@ThinkPositive:
"If standing against evil is fanaticism, so we are fanatics and we will stand against evil, as the reason we are here and for the reason this state came into existence."
Please explain to me how porn is evil. Your comment, by the way, sounds exactly like something a taliban member might say.
May the Almighty always protects Indonesia for here I learnt, peace, tolerance and the real meaning of of my faith, which means "Peace".
Indonesia where alcohol and prostitution is open, this sounds strange. Anyways, why watch vimeo when you can see live action?
Well done.
@ThinkPositive: Evil is more than porn! Muslims in general don't seem to care too much about it at all.
@Blunt: Like there are no rapes in Pakistan? Go live in your bubble, but bubble is fake.
@Blunt: Rapes are rather sad, one rape is too many. In india Rapes are being reported now more than ever, media picks it up, people protest, polics arrests, courts prosecute. India even swiftly changed the rape laws to include harsher punishments. It was after the Delhi rape that media in pakistan started reporting on rapes in pakistan prior to which there was a denial of it which is the usual norm. So while In india there is visible progress, the police in pakistan files reports saying rape never happened. The first step to solve the issue of rapes is to acknowledge they happen and report them, we have reached step 1 now towards eradication. Pakistan is a place in denial where women have to swallow the bitter pill with fear of repercussions. Pakistan is cheerfull as long there are rapes happening in India.But the article is about porn and we know who loves porn the most lol really it was all over the world media. What was not reported in pakstan however was the country with max hits for homosexual porn, go google and look which country that is. You will be surprised or maybe not.
“Art of Nakedness” and “Nudie Cutie” ET thanks for helping me :)
@raw is war: Ohh I see. thats why India beats every country in rapes.
people will watch porn, whatever you do. More so in Islamic countries were sexual expressions are repressed.
@ThinkPositive: And based on the evidence, you are doing quite a good job at curbing evil
@Feroz: If standing against evil is fanaticism, so we are fanatics and we will stand against evil, as the reason we are here and for the reason this state came into existence.