PERSONAL REFLECTION: WHY I’M DEEPLY CONCERNED ABOUT INDONESIA’S DIGITAL SOVEREIGNTY

Over the past decade, especially through my role at www.idpro.id,  I've dedicated my professional life to building Indonesia’s digital infrastructure—ensuring our data center infrastructures, cloud systems, and digital policies serve the interests of our nation. But today, I write not just as an industry leader, but as a concerned Indonesian.

A recent reciprocal trade agreement between Indonesia and the United States includes a clause that could allow free cross-border transfer of Indonesian citizens’ personal data to the U.S.—with no clear legal safeguards or enforceable protection mechanisms. I heard the news on July 22nd 2025, and I was speechless.

This may sound like a technical issue. But it’s far more than that.
This is a direct threat to Indonesia’s digital sovereignty.

Data is Power. And Power Should Belong to the People.

In today's world, data is not a byproduct of technology—it is the new currency of influence. Our personal data reflects who we are:

• Our health history
• Our financial behavior
• Our locations and habits
• Our conversations, preferences, and beliefs

When such data is freely transferred to foreign jurisdictions, especially those without comprehensive national data protection laws like the U.S., we lose more than privacy.
We lose control.
We lose economic value.
We risk manipulation, surveillance, and digital colonization.

Why This Agreement is Dangerous

Let me be clear:
The United States does not currently offer an adequate level of data protection. Even the European Union has recognized this by refusing to grant the U.S. "adequate protection" status under GDPR.

Meanwhile, U.S. surveillance programs like PRISM and laws like the CLOUD Act allow American authorities to access data from any company under U.S. jurisdiction—even if that data is stored in Indonesia.

By allowing unrestricted data flow to the U.S., we are effectively handing over our digital identity to a foreign power, with no ability to intervene, audit, or enforce our laws.

What Digital Sovereignty Really Means

We must stop treating "digital sovereignty" as a buzzword. It has clear, non-negotiable pillars:

1. Data Sovereignty
   Indonesian citizens' data must be governed by Indonesian law.
2. Infrastructure Sovereignty
   Our critical data infrastructure must be physically located—and controlled—within national borders.
3. Legal Sovereignty
   No foreign power should be able to access our data without going through the Indonesian legal system.
4. Economic Sovereignty
   The value derived from Indonesian data—AI development, analytics, digital innovation—must benefit Indonesians, not be exported for others’ gain.

What We Stand For at IDPRO

At IDPRO, we believe in progress. We support responsible international collaboration. But we draw a hard line when it comes to giving away our national assets without protection.

We urge the government and relevant stakeholders to:

• Reject any clause in international agreements that compromises our legal authority over Indonesian data.
• Mandate selective data localization, especially for sensitive sectors like health, finance, defense, and government.
• Strengthen and enforce Indonesia’s Data Protection Law (UU PDP No. 27/2022), including its extraterritorial provisions.
• Provide incentives to build and maintain data centers within Indonesia, under Indonesian legal and operational control.
• Foster a thriving data-driven innovation ecosystem in Indonesia, so we process and utilize our data here—rather than exporting raw digital material and importing finished technologies.

As someone deeply embedded in the digital world, I’ve watched nations rise or fall based on how they treat their data. Data is not just tech—it’s geopolitical leverage. It determines who builds the next generation of AI, who controls narratives, and who profits from innovation.

Indonesia has the talent. We have the market. We have the momentum.
What we must not lose is our agency.

This agreement with the U.S., if left unchecked, risks turning us into a data donor nation—one that feeds others’ advancements while stalling our own.

In the digital age, those who control data control destiny.
Let’s ensure that destiny stays in Indonesian hands. 

Thank you for reading. I write this as a citizen who cares deeply about the future of this country. If this resonates with you, let’s raise our voices together.

#DigitalSovereignty #IndonesiaFirst #ProtectOurData #IDPRO #DigitalIndependence