Indonesia will reopen access to the website version of encrypted messaging service Telegram this week, following a discussion with Telegram chief executive Pavel Durov in Jakarta on Tuesday (01/07).
“This week [the access] will be normalized,” director general for applied informatics at the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology, Semuel A. Pangerapan, said in a statement.
“Normalization” means lifting a ban on the website, making it accessible to everyone.
The ministry closed access to the website upon a request from the National Counterterrorism Agency (BNPT), which listed Telegram as the main platform for spreading radical propaganda and a tool that was used for planning the most recent terrorist attacks in Indonesia.
Semuel, however, did not specify when the access will be restored. As of Tuesday evening Telegram website remains blocked.
According to Samuel, Durov’s visit indicates his commitment to cooperate with the government in addressing terrorist activities.
Durov said on his Twitter account that Telegram will seek to clamp down on Islamic State propaganda and channels of its dissemination.
Communications and IT Minister Rudiantara and Durov agreed that Tuesday’s visit will be followed by a meeting involving technical teams.
