Websites are blocked by Internet Service Providers (ISPs) operating in Indonesia, following orders from the Ministry of Communication and Information Technologies (Kementrian Komunikasi dan Informatika). The ban is part of the "Safe Internet" initiative whose idea is to protect Indonesian users from visiting websites that do not follow the "moral, ethics and spirit" of the nation.
As of 2017, there are a total of 769 814 blocked websites in Indonesia. Naturally, I cannot list all of them here, but I will give you the most famous.
Using a VPN
How to Unblock Any Website in Indonesia?
Using a VPN
If you want to be able to surf on any website in Indonesia, my recommendation is to use a VPN (Virtual Private Network). It is a small and discreet software that you install on your phone and your computer, and then you just turn it on any time you visit sensitive websites (or you always leave it on).
You can also read my article Best VPNs for Indonesia for more detailed information.
The main benefit of a VPN (compared with a Proxy, an alternative to unblocking sites) is that you are guaranteed total anonymity. Your internet provider, the government, your boss, your landlord, or anybody who can have access to your connection information will have no way of knowing which websites you've visited, if you've gambled, if you've watched porn, or if you've downloaded movies. That's nice isn't it?
Free VPNs exist (for instance Hola.org) but they always have a limited bandwidth. It means that if you want to watch a movie, it will load very slowly, even if you have a high-speed connection.
I've used 5 VPN brands in the past 2 years. Most offer a free trial for 1 month (or up to 3 months for Golden Frog) so I like to change once in a while.
The one I currently use is ExpressVPN (I'm still on free trial period but if you subscribe, I'll get an extra 30 days free). I use internet maybe 5-6 hours a day and I never turn it off. Since 2 weeks, there hasn't been any website I couldn't open. I can watch videos, sometimes while downloading torrents, and I don't notice any differences in speed. I can also use it to watch Netflix US (for that you just need to connect to their American servers).
Actually, since Netflix started blocking some VPNs, I only use the ones that are compatible (that's why I switched from Hide My Ass to NordVPN (and now ExpressVPN).
Pricing ExpressVPN:
1 Month = 12.95$
6-Month Plan = 9.99$ per month
12-Month Plan = 8.32 per month
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Pricing for NordVPN:
1 Month Plan: 12$/month
1 Year Plan: 6.58$/month
2 Year Plan: 4$ per month
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See more options: Best VPNs for Indonesia.
You can also read my article Best VPNs for Indonesia for more detailed information.
The main benefit of a VPN (compared with a Proxy, an alternative to unblocking sites) is that you are guaranteed total anonymity. Your internet provider, the government, your boss, your landlord, or anybody who can have access to your connection information will have no way of knowing which websites you've visited, if you've gambled, if you've watched porn, or if you've downloaded movies. That's nice isn't it?
Free VPNs exist (for instance Hola.org) but they always have a limited bandwidth. It means that if you want to watch a movie, it will load very slowly, even if you have a high-speed connection.
I've used 5 VPN brands in the past 2 years. Most offer a free trial for 1 month (or up to 3 months for Golden Frog) so I like to change once in a while.
The one I currently use is ExpressVPN (I'm still on free trial period but if you subscribe, I'll get an extra 30 days free). I use internet maybe 5-6 hours a day and I never turn it off. Since 2 weeks, there hasn't been any website I couldn't open. I can watch videos, sometimes while downloading torrents, and I don't notice any differences in speed. I can also use it to watch Netflix US (for that you just need to connect to their American servers).
Actually, since Netflix started blocking some VPNs, I only use the ones that are compatible (that's why I switched from Hide My Ass to NordVPN (and now ExpressVPN).
Pricing ExpressVPN:
1 Month = 12.95$
6-Month Plan = 9.99$ per month
12-Month Plan = 8.32 per month
Pricing for NordVPN:
1 Month Plan: 12$/month
1 Year Plan: 6.58$/month
2 Year Plan: 4$ per month
See more options: Best VPNs for Indonesia.
List of Blocked Websites in Indonesia
Websites with Pornography:
766,633 "porn" sites are blocked by the Indonesian government as of February 2017. That's a huge number and it also includes sites with only mild nudity, erotic literature and sex-ed.
Generalist porn sites:
- XVideos
- YouPorn
- Porn Hub
- XHamster
- XNXX
- RedTube
- YouJizz
- Tube8
- Video-One
- TXXX
- VirginPornTube
- SpankBang
- XXXMomTube
- Watch8X
- AlohaTube
- Gandalfporn
- FUQ
- Xonline.tv
- Top1Porn
Hentai and Manga Websites (probably to protect younger people and teenagers):
- Mangafox (Actually not a porn site but some albums might be considered erotic)
- KissManga (Most mangas are normal but it has an adult section)
- DMM
- MyReadingManga
- E-Hentai
- Nhentai
- Fakku
- Pururin
- Donmai.us
- Hitomi.la
- HentaiHaven
- HentaiBox
- Hentai2read
- Javhihi
- Javcl
JAV (Japanese Adult Videos)
- Javfor.me
- Jav68.me
- JavGo.me
- JapanesePornTube
- Javlibrary.com
- Javhub.net
- JavPlay
Torrent, Sharing, P2P, Download Sites
- KAT.cr, Kat.how and all Kickass Torrents mirror sites
- KumpulBagi
- thepiratebay.org
- Extratorrent
- Openload.co
- RarBG.to
- YTS.ag (YiFy Torrent movies)
- Isohunt
Video Streaming Site:
- Vimeo (Not a porn site but some videos have erotic content)
- Viki
- Dramafever
- Viki
- Dramafever
- Ganool
- Kshowonline (Korean streaming site - sometimes restricted)
- Netflix (blocked by Telkom only, probably because it competes with their own service, Iflix)
- 123movies
- CinemaIndo
- Bigo Live
Erotic Cams
- Chaturbate
- Bongacams
- SexCamly
- Camfor
- LiveJasmin
Sex Forums
- Internationalsexguide.com
- Semprot and Semprotku
- BintangMawar.net
Adult Content
- Uzone (Magazine that talks about sexuality in Indonesian)
Controversial social media sites
- Omegle (chat room to meet random foreigners)
- AdultFriendFinder
Gay Porn, Gay Dating, Gay Apps
- Grindr
- GROWLr
- JAck'd
- BoyAhoy
- Blued
- Hornet
- Adam4Adam
- Romeo
- GayPark
- VGL
- Scruff
- Guyz
- Gay Dating
- Surge
- Krave
- Gaydar
- Gay Times
- Maleforce
- Gay Cities
Drug-related and "Digital drugs" Websites
Many of the websites forbidden for drug-related content promote or offer i-doser applications. If you are not familiar with them, they are used to play sounds/music that are rumored to make their listeners high (you need a dedicated binaural headset for that).
Some of the blocked websites are:
- i-doser.com
- idosersoftware.com
- idoseraudio.com
- istoner.com
Radicalism, Hate Speech and Fake News Websites (Hoax)
There are almost 300 websites blocked in this category. Many are websites promoting Wahhabism, the Islamic state or conspiracy theories. There was a controversy as many of those sites were censored a few months before the 2017 Gubernatorial election. Some suspected that anti-Ahok sites were the main target.
Some of the most famous blocked sites in this category are:
- arrahmah.com
- eramuslim.com
- kiblat.net
- voa-islam.com
- islampos.com
- suaranews.com
- izzamedia.com
- suara-islam.com
- smstauhiid.com (website of AA Gym)
- pos-metro.com
- nusanews (reformed as IDnusa to avoid censorship)
Fraudulent Investment and E-Commerce Websites
576 websites were blocked for fraud in 2017. Mostly, they feature fake products, investment scams, pyramid schemes, Ponzi schemes, etc.
The closure is sometimes followed by a police investigation and arrests. This was the case with the Dream for Freedom website (D4F, taken down since) and the fake Djakarta Warehouse Project website that I mentioned on my DWP guide (also shut down since).
Gambling, Lottery and Betting Sites
After porn, these represent the largest number of banned sites (2,120). Casinos are strictly illegal in Indonesia, yet many of its citizens love gambling. It isn't surprising that to avoid being fined, they've quickly switched to the online world.
Generalist sites:
- IBCBet.com
- Asia77.com
- SBC168.com
- MaxBet.com
- Comeon.com
Poker Sites:
- IonCasino Poker
- PartyPoker
- PokerStars
Casinos:
- Ion777.com
- IonCasino Poker
- PartyPoker
- PokerStars
Casinos:
- Ion777.com
Lottery:
- Kungfu4d
- Istana Impian 1 and 2
- Istana Impian 1 and 2
Sport Bets:
- Sbobet.com