Indonesian clerics want rules for Facebook
Indra Harsaputra and Niniek Karmini , Associated Press | Thu, 05/21/2009 2:52 PM | National
Muslim clerics are seeking ways to regulate online behavior in Indonesia, saying the exploding popularity of social networking sites like Facebook could encourage illicit sex.
Around 700 clerics, or imams, gathered in the world's most populous Muslim nation on Thursday were considering guidelines forbidding their followers from going online to flirt or engage in practices they believe could encourage extramarital affairs.
Facebook says Indonesia, a nation of 235 million, was its fastest-growing country in Southeast Asia in 2008, with a 645 percent increase to 831,000 users - outpacing China and India. And with less than 0.5 percent of Indonesia's citizens wired, there is a huge potential for growth.