Indonesian internet blocks amid social unrest lawful, court rules

FILE PHOTO: A cleaning worker walks outside Indonesia's constitutional court in Jakarta, Indonesia, May 24, 2019. REUTERS/Willy Kurniawan/File Photo

JAKARTA (Reuters) - Indonesia's decision to block internet access during periods of social unrest was lawful, its constitutional court ruled on Wednesday, in a move activists said sets a dangerous precedent for internet freedom in the world's third largest democracy.

During 2019 demonstrations in the country's easternmost region of Papua, Indonesian authorities throttled internet access in what the government said was an attempt to prevent violence that could have been sparked by the rapid spread of online disinformation.