Indonesian cyberspace expansion: a double-edged sword

Indonesia’s gross domestic product (GDP) is growing at a healthy 5.1% per year. A significant portion of new growth in recent years has been generated by cyberspace expansion and the creation of new cyber-based businesses in the e-commerce sector. These businesses have thrived due to the rising number of Indonesians connecting to the internet. As of 2017, Indonesia had approximately 143 million internet users. This figure will further increase as the economy grows. Digital connectivity in Indonesia has created many positive economic opportunities but has also led to problems with cybercrime, cyber-amplified religious intolerance and disinformation. Indonesia’s slow-moving and inadequate legislative environment has resulted in cyber criminals using the archipelago as a haven for their activities. Problems associated with low rates of digital literacy mean that Indonesians citizens are highly vulnerable to pervasive disinformation campaigns. To address these issues, the Indonesian government has announced a limited range of measures aimed at improving digital literacy and combating issues in its cyberspace. Although some of these measures are positive, they include problematic proposals for legislative revisions and an automated ‘content moderation’ system, which, without proper oversight or transparent implementation frameworks, could be used to censor or suppress legitimate political expression.