Ministry of Communications and Informatics

The Ministry of Communications and Informatics (Kementerian Komunikasi dan Informatika; abbreviated as Kominfo) is an Indonesian government ministry that is responsible for communications, information affairs and internet censorship. The ministry reports to the president and is currently led by Budi Arie Setiadi, the Minister of Communications and Informatics.

The current form of the ministry was established in 2001 by President Megawati Sukarnoputri after its predecessor, the Department of Information (Departemen Penerangan, abbreviated Deppen), was abolished by President Abdurrahman Wahid in 1999. Deppen itself was created in 19 August 1945, during the National Revolution.

Organization
By Presidential Decree No. 22/2023 and Minister of Communication and Information Technology No. 12/2021, the Ministry is organized as follows:


 * Office of the Minister
 * Office of the Deputy Minister
 * Special Advisors to the Minister
 * Special Advisor to the Minister on ICT Law
 * Special Advisor to the Minister on Social Affairs, Economics and Culture
 * Special Advisor to the Minister on Communications and Mass Media
 * Special Advisor to the Minister on Technological Affairs
 * Secretariat General of Communications and Informatics
 * Bureau of Planning
 * Bureau of Employment and Organization
 * Bureau of Finance
 * Bureau of Legal Affairs
 * Bureau of Public Communication
 * Centers (attached to the Secretariat General)
 * Center of Data and Information Technology
 * Center for International Relations
 * Secretariat of Indonesian Central Broadcasting Commission
 * Secretariat of Indonesian Press Council
 * Secretariat of Indonesian Central Information Commission
 * Directorate General of Postal and Information Technology Devices and Resources (DG I)
 * DG I Secretariat
 * Directorate of Resources Management
 * Directorate of Resources Operations
 * Directorate of Controllers
 * Directorate of Standardization of Postal Devices and Communication Devices
 * Center for Telecommunication Devices Testing
 * Class I Radio Frequency Spectrum Monitoring Centers (located at Jakarta, Tangerang, Medan, Pekanbaru, Palembang, Bandung, Semarang, Surabaya, Yogyakarta, Denpasar, Kupang, Samarinda, and Makassar)
 * Class II Radio Frequency Spectrum Monitoring Centers (located at Batam, Pontianak, Manado, Jayapura, Merauke, Padang, Jambi, Bengkulu, Lampung, Banjarmasin, Palangkaraya, Mataram, and Palu)
 * Radio Frequency Spectrum Monitoring Stations (located at Pangkal Pinang, Gorontalo, Mamuju, Manokwari, and Tanjung Selor)
 * Directorate General of Postal Services and Information Technology Operations (DG II)
 * DG II Secretariat
 * Directorate of Postal Services
 * Directorate of Telecommuncation
 * Directorate of Broadcasting
 * Directorate of Bandwidth Development
 * Directorate of Post and Communication Control
 * Directorate General of Information Technology Application (DG III)
 * DG III Secretariat
 * Directorate of Informatics Application Management
 * Directorate of Informatics Application Services for Government
 * Directorate of Digital Economy
 * Directorate of Information Empowerment
 * Directorate of Informatics Application Control
 * Directorate General of Information and Public Communications (DG IV)
 * DG IV Secretariat
 * Directorate of Information and Public Communication Management
 * Directorate for Information and Public Communication in Politics, Legal, and Security Affairs
 * Directorate for Information and Public Communication in Economical and Maritime Affairs
 * Directorate for Information and Public Communication in Human Development and Cultural Affairs
 * Directorate of Media Management
 * Inspectorate General
 * Inspectorate General Secretariat
 * Inspectorate I
 * Inspectorate II
 * Inspectorate III
 * Inspectorate IV
 * Agency for Human Resource Development of Communication and Information Technology
 * Agency for Human Resource Development of Communication and Information Technology Secretariat
 * Center for Research and Development of Postal and Informatics Resources, Devices, and Operations
 * Center for Research and Development of Informatics Application and Public Information and Communication
 * Center for Professional Development and Certification
 * Multimedia College
 * Medan Indonesian Institute for Human Resource Development and Research in Communication and Informatics
 * Makassar Indonesian Institute for Human Resource Development and Research in Communication and Informatics
 * Jakarta Indonesian Center for Human Resource Development and Research in Communication and Informatics
 * Bandung Indonesian Center for Human Resource Development and Research in Communication and Informatics
 * Yogyakarta Indonesian Center for Human Resource Development and Research in Communication and Informatics
 * Manado Indonesian Center for Human Resource Development and Research in Communication and Informatics
 * Banjarmasin Indonesian Center for Human Resource Development and Research in Communication and Informatics
 * Surabaya Indonesian Center for Human Resource Development and Research in Communication and Informatics
 * Cikarang Indonesian ICT Training Center
 * Agency for Telecommunication and Information Accessibility (Supervised Organization)
 * Directorate of Resources and Administration
 * Directorate of Finance
 * Directorate of IT Services for Enterprises
 * Directorate of IT Services for Public and Government
 * Directorate of Infrastructure
 * Internal Investigation Unit

Criticism
The ministry is often criticized for its censorship, as it blocks websites "to protect its citizen from hoax" [sic]. In 2020, the Director General Ministry Semuel Abrijani Pangerapan and Johnny G. Plate introduced a law that requires foreign companies to register under the Electronic System Operator list which could give the government access to the citizen's personal info and threaten the company to block access from the country if the company did not register. The law was revised and passed in 2021. In July 2022, a ban was implemented for several notable websites such as PayPal, Epic Games, Steam, Origin, and Yahoo, and games such as Counter-Strike: Global Offensive and Dota 2 as they did not register under the ministry's new law. Paypal, Steam, CSGO, Dota 2, and Yahoo would later be normalized or access reopened again by 2 August 2022.