Posted on 02/12/2016 2:25:56 PM PST by nickcarraway
Human Rights Watch expresses alarm as government says social media must respect ‘culture and local wisdom of the country’
Indonesia’s instant messaging providers must remove gay emoji and stickers from their apps, the government has ordered, prompting a human rights outcry.
The government move comes after a social media backlash against Line, a popular smartphone messaging app, for having stickers – an elaborate type of emoji – with homosexual themes in its online store.
Homosexuality and is not illegal in Indonesia but LGBT matters are a sensitive issue. At the same time most of Indonesian society, which follows a moderate form of Islam, is tolerant, with gay and transsexual entertainers often appearing on television shows.
But Twitter and Facebook recently exploded with criticism of Line and its competitor WhatsApp for containing gay content.
Line on Tuesday said it had removed all LGBT-related stickers from its local store after complaints from Indonesian users.
Ismail Cawidu, a spokesman for the government’s communication ministry, said the government would tell WhatsApp, owned by Facebook, to do the same as Line.
“Social media must respect the culture and local wisdom of the country where they have large numbers of users,†he said.
(Excerpt) Read more at theguardian.com ...
I did not realize that there WERE homosexual Emoji.
I did not realize that there WERE homosexual Emoji.
They are fairly rare as they can not reproduce.
LMAO
good one
Then they came for the show tunes.
Good example of “moderate” Islam that would make for funny questions at the next democrat debate.
Welp— I already knew I wasn’t gay— but here is confirmation.
I’m guessing the guy in the cop hat and assorted straps is supposed to be sexy.
Maybe, like the unicorn, it’s merely symbolic.
Either way...I got nothin’ goin’ on in my pants over it. Looks stoopud, is what.
They’re all gay.
Not the four. The one by himself, next to the unicorn.
Way to go, Indonesia!
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