Slashdot Mirror
Indonesia Wants To Criminalize Memes (dailydot.com)
While the United States has the First Amendment to justify the spread of memes that may ridicule political figures for example, the Indonesian government doesn't. In fact, it is looking to criminalize internet users for posting memes. The Daily Dot reports via Jakarta Post: Its Electronic Information and Transactions Law (ITE) punishes any electronic media communication that incites fear or embarrassment under its defamation article. The public has continuously called for the article's removal, but instead Indonesia is introducing more restrictions to freedom of expression. Posting memes, texts, pictures, or videos would be punishable if found to have a defamatory or slanderous tone. According to the Indonesian government, this provision stands to prevent and control cyberbullying. But it can further be used as a political tool against opposition during elections. Since its implementation in 2008, 200 people have been prosecuted according to data from the Southeast Asia Freedom of Expression Network. Among the most notable cases, was the prosecution of Prita Mulyasari in 2009 for complaining about Omni International Hospital services on an online mailing list.
Therefore if you say you're "banning memes" you need to specify.
No, in this case you really don't have to specify. The law is a general ban on "any electronic media communication that incites fear or embarrassment" and is not actually specific to image memes. It's a broad law that allows the government to punish anyone that puts anything online that they don't like. It covers both definitions of meme and then some.