Jakarta. The Ministry of Communication and Information Technology said Indonesia’s personal data protection regulations have been strengthened during President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo’s 10 years in office, citing the enactment of the Privacy Act. Personal Data Protection (UU PDP) and revisions to the Electronic Information and Transactions Act. Law (ITE).

“Generally speaking, the regulations are already in place, such as the ITE Law, which has been revised twice,” Hokky Situngkir, director general of IT applications at the ministry, said on Wednesday.

He explained that the ITE Law deals with both legal and illegal access to information and its dissemination. Additionally, the Personal Data Protection Act (UU PDP), enacted in 2022, serves to protect citizens’ personal data from misuse.

“It protects individuals to ensure that their personal data is not exploited,” Hokky noted.

According to him, the personal data protection framework is solid. “The PDP law is strong and the ITE law, revised twice, is very comprehensive. What is needed now is to support the technology. We will continue to improve it gradually,” he added.

Hokky also mentioned that the ministry was drafting Government Regulations (GPRs) for technical guidelines under the PDP Act, currently in the harmonization stage at the Ministry of Law and Human Rights. He further noted that there should be a dedicated institution to oversee the protection of personal data, a matter falling under the Ministry of Bureaucratic Reform.

“A presidential regulation is being prepared on this matter and we are also working on it,” he said.

Hokky highlighted four pillars of digital culture promoted under Jokowi’s administration. The first is digital skills, such as those used in e-commerce and unicorn startups. The second pillar is digital culture, followed by digital ethics.

“Being polite and courteous online is just as important as offline,” he stressed.

The final pillar is digital security, which focuses on protecting personal data and ensuring online security.

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