Indonesia’s top websites hit out at telcos for littering the internet with even more ads

Credit: Change.org

Anyone who has ever accessed the internet in Indonesia using Telkomsel (60.5 million data subscribers) or XL Axiata (37.5 million data subscribers) may have noticed even more adverts on the web than usual. That’s because the two telcos show two types of ads: interstitial ads where the telco first redirects users to a full ad page before going to the designated domain, and off-deck ads where telcos put banner ads on top of websites. This practice has been going on for more than a year.

But today, two groups stood up to the telco and ISP titans. The Indonesia Association of E-Commerce (Idea) and Indonesia Digital Association (IDA) – which collectively represent 60 major sites in the country, such as Kaskus, Kompas, and Merdeka – announced their opposition to the telcos’ extra ads. Both the IDA and Idea have tried to mediate with the telcos for over a year on this issue, but have yet to see significant changes when it comes to the intrusive ads.

The two associations explain that they have three reasons for their opposition. First, the ads are shown without prior consent of the website owners. These ads can disturb the user experience when accessing the site, and as far as many users are concerned, the website owners are responsible for all advertisements shown when they’re browsing the site. Even worse, there are times when the telcos put in banner ads for the websites’ direct competitors.

Idea and IDA add that while the telcos have said that they will give back some kind of rewards to their users to compensate for the additional ads, no action has been taken so far. There is also no transparent way for the ISPs’ subscribers to opt out from receiving those intrusive ads.

Secondly, say the two associations, this is an unhealthy practice in the industry as it can the impact advertising revenue from all online players.

Thirdly, Indonesia’s internet law prohibits anyone from changing, adding, reducing, transmitting, damaging, removing, moving, or hiding any electronic information or documents belonging to somebody else or that is public property. Plus, other regulations state that any advertisement creators are fully responsible for the ads produced as well as for any consequences that result from the ads.

See: China spends more money on mobile ads than the rest of the world combined

What’s next?

IDA notes that they have started formal discussion about the matter in September 2013 through the Online Media Work Group (KKMO), in which the two telcos stated in writing that they stopped the advertisements on websites represented by KKMO. However, the two telcos are still putting up the extra ads in some KKMO and IDA websites.

Idea chairman Daniel Tumiwa regrets the telcos’ negligence in dealing with this issue. He hopes that users and other website owners can also speak out. “We are still optimistic to find a solution that could benefit all parties, as long as there is willingness from all concerned stakeholders to discuss,” says Tumiwa.

Idea and IDA have created an online petition to reject Telkomsel’s and XL Axiata’s intrusive advertisement practice on Change.org. You can support this petition here.

You can also speak out on the issue on social media using the #StopTelcoIntrusiveAds hashtag.