Indigenous group requests internet blackout to limit "negative impact" of smartphones

Jakarta — An Indigenous community in Indonesia has requested an internet blackout in their area to minimize the "negative impact" of the online world, officials said Friday. The Baduy, a community of 26,000 people in Banten province on Java island, divide themselves into an outer group that partly adopts technology, and a sacred inner group that shuns the trappings of contemporary life.

The inner group asked authorities to shut down internet reception or divert nearby telecom towers so the signal would not reach them, according to a letter seen by AFP.

"This request is a part of our efforts to minimize the negative impact of smartphones on our people," Baduy representatives wrote.