JAKARTA. Censorship could affect Netflix's availability in Indonesia, according to Communications and Information Ministry spokesperson Ismail Cawidu.

As the entertainment service's content is dominated by US products, which are not censored by Indonesia's Film Censorship Board (LSF), they could contain words or scenes considered unsuitable for Indonesian viewers.

"There is a censorship issue regarding the operation of Netflix. But, the Communications and Information Ministry only regulates video streaming. Regulations on censorship lie in the hands of the Culture and Education Ministry, [thus] we need to discuss with them first. Netflix [is allowed] to operate in Indonesia but we will keep an eye on its [potential] social issues," Ismail recently told thejakartapost.com.

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According to movie producer Sheila Timothy, the government should be prepared to face difficulties in censoring movies in today's digital era. Due to the ease of making digital content, the market would soon be flooded, she added.

In addition to being cheaper and easier to edit, digital content is also easier to distribute. The movie industry left behind the analog method in 2008 and fully transitioned to digital.

"With [the rise of] streaming services like Netflix, there will be a lot of content coming to Indonesia. The problem is, our regulations aren't yet ready [to welcome it]," said Sheila.  (Anton Hermansyah)