Thursday, December 14, 2017
A digital platform named 'IndonesiaLeaks' has opened in Indonesia. With it, whistleblowers get the opportunity to safely communicate with journalists. Ten media houses and five civil society organizations will cooperate on the platform. Whistleblowers can anonymously and securely pass documents, photos, video and data to media. Subsequently, journalists can use this information as material for investigative journalism.  

Marcel Oomens, Free Press Unlimited program manager: "I am happy we have succeeded in getting this platform up and running. There is a great need for a tool like this. It often happens that people who stick their necks to denounce abuses such as corruption or crimes in their organizations are intimidated and persecuted. Currently, there is absolutely no protection for whistleblowers."

Media partners

Among participating media are CNN-Indonesia, the magazine Tempo and the Jakarta Post. Supporting civil society organizations include Indonesia Corruption Watch, Change.org and Greenpeace Indonesia. Free Press Unlimited was previously involved in realizing similar platforms for whistleblowers in Nigeria, Mexico and the Netherlands, the latter under the name Publeaks.

Investigative journalism

The Indonesian platform will be monitored by the Legal Aid Institute for the Press. Director Baharudin of that organization: "This platform gives a voice people who have not been heard before. Anyone who has information about abuses, corruption or criminal activities can now share it with professional journalists without fear. In the past, whistleblowers took a risk when they informed police directly. Moreover, this platform will improve the quality of investigative journalism and deal with fake news. "