Why Porn Sites Are Blocked in Indonesia (And How to Unblock Them)

As of today, there are over 1 million porn websites blocked in Indonesia, but also thousands of betting sites, streaming sites and extremist websites.

10 years ago, there was no censorship in the country. It all started under President SBY in 2008, when the parliament passed the now-famous Anti-Porn bill. This law stipulates that possessing or downloading porn can be punishable by up to 4 years in jail. Worse, being involved in a "sexually suggestive performance" is worth up to 12 years in prison. Now you understand why there aren't any active Indonesian pornstars.

At first, only the most famous porn sites were blocked, but the rest was easily accessible. Then slowly, more and more sites were filtered, until it became impossible to see anything without the use of a VPN. Even typing naughty words on Google will be censored.

So what should you do if you really want to access a blocked site?

The solution is simple, cheap, and it will be useful to you in so many situations other than for watching porn (for instance to use Netflix): You must use a VPN.

I had already written about the best VPNs in Indonesia a few months ago. I will be a bit more specific here and explain to you how it works exactly.

For that, I will show you the example of VPN I'm currently using, VyprVPN. I recommend this one for Indonesia, but feel free to purchase another one if you feel there is a better choice. Anyway, the interface always looks similar to one another.

To make sure everyone can understand this post, I will keep my explanations as simple as possible, especially on the technicalities. Please leave a comment below if you think I left out something important or if you require additional information.

A VPN client is a small software that you can install on your computer or your phone in order to access a VPN (or Virtual Private Network). When you connect to a VPN, you can surf the web anonymously, from another location than Indonesia and with all your data protected.

In the case of VyprVPN, the software looks like this:
When you click on the connect button, you will access the internet through a server (here in Singapore). From this moment on, the websites you visit will not know that you are in Indonesia and instead they'll assume you are in Singapore. Since the connection is encrypted and anonymous, there is also no way for third parties to know who you are and what you are doing online.

The benefits of using a VPN in Indonesia are particularly important for 3 main reasons:

Almost all porn websites are blocked in Indonesia, including the most famous ones like PornHub, XHamster, YouPorn, or XVideos. As soon as a new one is popular, it will get banned almost immediately. Sex-oriented forums like internationalsexguide.info, adult dating sites like AdultFriendFinder, or cam websites like Chaturbate are also forbidden here. 

Some internet content may not be available from Indonesia, not because of the government, but because of the content providers themselves. For instance, I cannot watch TV replays from a French TV channel because it only allows viewing from Europe. This is a common problem with many streaming services (Netflix, BeIN Connect, Hulu, Amazon Prime, etc).

The leading betting website betfair.com also does not allow bets coming from Indonesia.

When using a VPN, it is very easy to bypass those restrictions as you can simply connect from a server in the country of your choice. This can be done with just one click:

When you surf the web in Indonesia either from a laptop or a mobile phone, you are not anonymous. Your internet provider knows who you are and which websites you visit (even if you are in incognito mode). Worse, he may communicate that information to your employer or to the government. Western countries spy on the internet and there is no reason to think that Indonesia does not. If you are often exchanging sensitive information or if you like visiting unorthodox websites, using a VPN is a necessary protection for your privacy.

Furthermore, after Indonesia voted the law on Electronic Information and Transaction in 2008, it has become easier to accuse anyone of defamation, insult or blasphemy. If you enjoy political discussions about Indonesia on forums or in the comment section of news sites, I really advise remaining as anonymous as possible.

If you are regularly traveling to Asia, the VPN will also help you in almost every country as each has its own restrictions: China blocks pretty much everything (Google, Facebook, Youtube - and even Jakarta100bars.com), Malaysia blocks porn and opposition websites, Thailand blocks any websites criticizing the monarchy, etc. In almost all Asian countries, at least a few people have been arrested for writing "inappropriate" comments on Facebook.

It is important to choose a VPN with an important number of servers, especially if you travel a lot. For Indonesia, the fastest servers will typically be the ones in countries like Singapore, Taiwan, Australia, Macau or Hong Kong.

The great thing about VyprVPN is that they even have a server in Indonesia. This is really useful if you want to be geolocated in Indonesia while having total privacy.

Privacy
VyprVPN is one of the most serious options when it comes to the protection of its users' privacy. The main reason for that is that they do not keep logs from your connection, meaning that even they do not know which websites you visited. Also, they have a Modulating IP feature that modifies your IP address continuously while you are surfing. This makes it impossible for anyone to track your whereabouts.

Accessing Blocked Website in Indonesia with VyprVPN
My most important concern when using a VPN is: Can I surf any websites, even those that are blocked? Can I use any streaming websites (like Netflix)? Can I download movies and torrents fast?

I can answer YES to all of these questions. I managed (for research purpose of course) to access all porn websites I could find, and all the blocked websites mentioned above. I also could watch Netflix USA. I could connect to the torrent website kat.how and I download some movies (only legal ones naturally). Using VyprVPN did not affect my speed (I was even watching YouTube at the same time). Finally, I visited the website of the French TV channels I mentioned earlier and I could watch all their videos without any restrictions on content.

Is it legal to use a VPN
YES. There are no laws forbidding the use of VPN in Indonesia, even to access illegal websites (like porn). You will not get into any troubles for using one.

Read more: Are VPNs Legal in Indonesia?

Installing and Using VyprVPN
Here is a step-by-step guide on how to install and use VyprVPN (it is so easy that all you need to make it work is a somewhat functioning brain).

Step 1: Register (7 Days Free Trial)
Step 2: Install
After you've subscribed, you will need to download the VPN client software from your account. You just need to click on "Download VyprVPN" under the Dashboard tab:
Step 3: Connect
Once the client software is installed and launched, all you will need to do is click on CONNECT and enter your login/password.
Step 4: Surf the web freely and anonymously
Once connected, you can now surf any blocked websites and nobody will know what you are visiting (including your boss, your internet provider, etc).

You may switch server location as often as you'd like to and you can also monitor in real-time your traffic speed.

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