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

“In general, the regulations are already in place, such as the ITE Law, which has been revised twice,” said Hokky Situngkir, Director General of Informatics Applications at the ministry, on Wednesday.

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

"It safeguards individuals to ensure that their personal data is not exploited," Hokky noted.

According to him, the framework for personal data protection is robust. “The PDP Law is strong, and the ITE Law, having been revised twice, is very comprehensive. What is needed now is supporting technology. We will continue to improve it gradually,” he added.

Hokky also mentioned that the ministry is drafting government regulations (RPP) for technical guidelines under the PDP Law, currently in the harmonization phase at the Ministry of Law and Human Rights. He further noted that there should be a dedicated institution overseeing personal data protection, a matter under the Bureaucratic Reform Ministry.

"A presidential regulation is being prepared on this, and we are working on that as well," he said.

Hokky highlighted four pillars of digital literacy promoted during 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 civil online is just as important as it is offline,” he emphasized.

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