The Indonesian Committee for the Safety of Journalists (KKJ) strongly condemns the digital attack in the form of distributed denial of service (DDoS) against the Tempo news portal. Not stopping at Tempo, a number of other mass media that published articles on the DDoS attack against Tempo also experienced the same thing. This attack is a direct attempt to curb press freedom and prevent the public from freely accessing information.
The attacks occurred in succession starting on Sunday April 6 at around 1 am after Tempo published an investigative report titled Cambodia Gambling Tentacles. The attacks were carried out by sending simultaneous requests to the Tempo's server from various sources until Thursday April 10.
The number of attacks increased each day until by Thursday afternoon at 4 pm when there were 2.6 million access requests. In total, the DDoS attacks reached 3 billion requests. As a result, most of Tempo's content could not be accessed by the public via the tempo.co website, especially the premium articles page that displayed the online gambling coverage.
Several online media outlets that reported the digital attack on Tempo also experienced DDoS attacks. The DDoS attacks were systematic and planned. The incident adds to the long list of cases of curbing press freedom through digital attacks. It also robs the public of their right to know and blocks the flow of information that should be free and open.
Attacks on the mass media that exercise control and supervision over power are a form of violence. This silencing effort is a criminal act as regulated under Article 18 paragraph (1) of Press Law Number 40/1999.
According to KKJ's records, this is not the first digital attack experienced by Tempo. Previously, the news site tempo.co was hacked or experienced a cyber-attack on Friday August 21, 2020. The site disappeared and was replaced by a black screen with the word "Hoax" written in red. The attack occurred after Tempo published a report with sources from a number of celebrities involved in campaigns to raise support for the Omnibus Law on Job Creation on social media.
And it has not just been Tempo. In September and October 2022 three other mass media experienced DDoS attacks including Narasi TV, Konde.co and Batamnews.co.id. The digital attacks occurred after the three media published news reports that were considered sensitive.
Narasi TV experienced a series of digital attacks after publishing a news report about mining. Likewise, Konde.co was hit by a DDoS attack after publishing news about an alleged rape case that occurred at the Ministry of Cooperatives and Small and Medium Enterprises (UKM). Then, Batamnews.co.id was hit by a DDoS attack after the media portal broadcast news about a smuggling case in Batam City that offended certain agencies.
This latest incident adds to the long list of digital attacks on the Indonesian media. Unfortunately, up until now, cases of digital attacks on critical mass media have not been handled seriously by the government or law enforcement agencies. The state never acts quickly and firmly on reported cases. In addition to this, there is no law that can protect digital attacks on the mass media in Indonesia.
Therefore the KKJ is urging that:
- The government openly state and acknowledges that attacks, threats, harassment and intimidation against journalists and media offices constitute serious human rights violations.
- The police immediately conduct an investigation and prosecution of this DDoS attack and take it to court.
- All parties to respect press freedom and freedom of expression.
About Indonesian Committee for the Safety of Journalists
The KKJ was declared in Jakarta on April 5, 2019. The committee is made up of 11 press organisations and civil society groups, namely: The Alliance of Independent Journalists (AJI), the Legal Aid Foundation (LBH), the Southeast Asia Freedom of Expression Network (SAFEnet), the Indonesian Television Journalists Association (IJTI), the Indonesian Legal Aid Foundation (YLBHI), the Indonesian Cyber Media Association (AMSI), the Federation of Independent Media Workers Unions (FSPMI), Amnesty International Indonesia (AII), the Media and Creative Industry Workers Union for Democracy (SINDIKASI), the Indonesian Journalists Association (PWI) and the Indonesian Photo Journalists (PFI).
Notes
The most recent DDoS attack against Tempo was triggered by an investigative report publish by Tempo Magazine on April 6 titled Businesspeople and Politicians Controlling Online Gambling in Cambodia. The report named a close aide of President Prabowo Subianto who is also the daily chairperson of Prabowo's Greater Indonesia Movement Party (Gerindra) Central Leadership Board and House of Representatives (DPR) deputy speaker, Sufmi Dasco Ahmad, as being linked to online gambling business in Cambodia. Tempo said that information about Ahmad's affiliation with the gambling business was confirmed by an official from Prabowo's Red and White Cabinet.
[Translated by James Balowski. The original title of the article was "Komite Keselamatan Jurnalis: Serangan Digital ke Tempo bentuk Pembungkaman Kebebasan Pers".]
