Indonesia Threatens to Shut Down Facebook If Privacy Breached
- Social media companies face stern warning ahead of elections
- Facebook employees could also face criminal charges: minister
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An Indonesian cabinet member has threatened to shut down Facebook Inc. if there is any evidence the personal data of citizens is being harvested or the social media giant fails to crack down on "fake news" during upcoming elections.
Amid continuing fallout over revelations the data of 50 million Facebook users was obtained by a firm that helped U.S. President Donald Trump’s campaign, there’s growing fears in Indonesia that its presidential race could be corrupted. With the contest set to kick off within months, Communications Minister Rudiantara has voiced concerns that individuals or organized groups could exploit social media platforms in a bid to influence the outcome.