Freedom of opinion, freedom of expression, and freedom of the press are human rights protected by Pancasila, the 1945 Constitution, and the UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The existence of cyber media in Indonesia is also part of freedom of opinion, freedom of expression, and freedom of the press.

Cyber media has special characteristics that require guidelines so that its management can be carried out professionally, fulfilling its functions, rights and obligations in accordance with Law Number 40 of 1999 concerning the Press and the Journalistic Code of Ethics. For this reason, the Press Council together with press organizations, cyber media managers and the public have compiled Cyber Media Reporting Guidelines as follows:

1. Scope

Cyber Media is any form of media that uses the Internet and carries out journalistic activities, and meets the requirements of the Press Law and Press Company Standards set by the Press Council. User Generated Content is all content created and or published by cyber media users, including articles, images, comments, sounds, videos and various forms of uploads attached to cyber media, such as blogs, forums, reader or viewer comments, and other forms.

2. Verification and news balance

a. In principle, every news item must go through verification.
b. News that could harm other parties requires verification of the same news to fulfill the principles of accuracy and balance.
c. The provisions in point (a) above are excluded, provided that:
  1) The news truly contains an urgent public interest;
  2) The first news source is a source whose identity is clearly stated, credible and competent;
  3) The subject of the news to be confirmed is unknown and or cannot be interviewed;
  4) The media provides an explanation to readers that the news still requires further verification which will be sought as soon as possible. The explanation is included at the end of the same news, in brackets and using italics.
d. After publishing news in accordance with point (c), the media is obliged to continue verification efforts, and after verification is obtained, the results of the verification are included in the update news with a link to the unverified news.

3. User Generated Content

a. Cyber media is obliged to include terms and conditions regarding User Generated Content that do not conflict with Law no. 40 of 1999 concerning the Press and the Journalistic Code of Ethics, which are placed clearly and transparently.
b. Cyber media requires every user to register for membership and carry out a log-in process first in order to be able to publish all forms of User Generated Content. The provisions regarding log-in will be regulated further. c. In this registration, cyber media requires users to give written approval that the User Generated Content published:
  1) Does not contain false, slanderous, sadistic or obscene content;
  2) Does not contain content that contains prejudice and hatred related to ethnicity, religion, race and intergroup relations (SARA), and encourages acts of violence;
  3) Does not contain discriminatory content based on gender and language differences, and does not demean the dignity of the weak, poor, sick, mentally disabled or physically disabled.
d. Cyber media has absolute authority to edit or delete User Generated Content that is contrary to point (c).
e. Cyber media is obliged to provide a mechanism for complaining about User Generated Content that is considered to violate the provisions in point (c). This mechanism must be provided in a place that is easily accessible to users.
f. Cyber media is obliged to edit, delete and take corrective action on any User Generated Content that is reported and violates the provisions of point (c), as soon as possible proportionally no later than 2 24 hours after the complaint is received.
g. Cyber media that has fulfilled the provisions in points (a), (b), (c) and (f) is not burdened with responsibility for problems caused as a result of loading content that violates the provisions in point (c).
h. Cyber media is responsible for User Generated Content that is reported if it does not take corrective action after the time limit as referred to in point (f).

4. Corrections, and Right of Reply

a. Corrections, and rights of reply refer to the Press Law, the Journalistic Code of Ethics, and the Right of Reply Guidelines set by the Press Council.
b. Corrections, and or rights of reply must be linked to the news that is being corrected or given the right of reply.
c. Every correction, and right of reply must include the time the correction, and or right of reply was uploaded.
d. If certain cyber media news is disseminated by other cyber media, then:
  1) The responsibility of the cyber media that created the news is limited to the news published in the cyber media or cyber media under its technical authority;
  2) News corrections made by a cyber media must also be made by other cyber media that quote news from the cyber media that was corrected;
  3) Media that disseminates news from a cyber media and does not make corrections to the news in accordance with what was done by the cyber media owner and or creator of the news is fully responsible for all legal consequences of the news that was not corrected.
  e. In accordance with the Press Law, cyber media that does not serve the right of reply may be subject to criminal sanctions of a maximum fine of Rp 500,000,000 (five hundred million rupiah).

5. News Withdrawal

a. Published news cannot be revoked due to censorship from parties outside the editorial team, except in cases related to SARA (ethnicity, religion, race, and intergroup relations), decency, the future of children, traumatic experiences of victims, or based on other special considerations determined by the Press Council.
b. Other cyber media are obligated to follow the revocation of news quotes from the original media that have been revoked.
c. The revocation of news must be accompanied by the reasons for the revocation and announced to the public.

6. Advertising

a. Cyber media must clearly distinguish between news products and advertisements.
b. Any news/article/content that is an advertisement and/or paid content must include the words 'advertorial', 'advertisement', 'ads', 'sponsored', or other words that explain that the news/article/content is an advertisement.

7. Copyright

Cyber media must respect copyright as stipulated in the prevailing laws and regulations.

8. Inclusion of Guidelines

Cyber media must include these Cyber Media Reporting Guidelines in their media clearly and explicitly.

9. Disputes

The final assessment of disputes regarding the implementation of these Cyber Media Reporting Guidelines is resolved by the Press Council.

Jakarta, February 3, 2012
(These guidelines were signed by the Press Council and the press community in Jakarta, February 3, 2012).