[FULL] Indonesia Jadi Tambang Data Dunia? Henri Subiakto Bongkar Ancaman Kedaulatan Digital

Summary

In this interview, digital-regulation expert Professor Henri Subiakto argues that Indonesia’s digital-sovereignty challenge goes beyond data breaches. He distinguishes between general personal data—such as names, addresses, and phone numbers—and behavioral data generated through people’s everyday digital activity. He considers behavioral data especially strategic: platforms can use it to infer people’s preferences and needs, improve their algorithms, and gain economic and political influence.

Subiakto describes the growing dependence on foreign-owned platforms and infrastructure as a form of digital colonialism. He says Indonesians’ use of services such as Google, Meta, WhatsApp, YouTube, and TikTok generates valuable data for companies headquartered abroad. In his view, this can strengthen those firms while making it harder for Indonesian companies to compete. He identifies the United States and China as major technology powers, and the European Union as influential through its regulation of digital rights.

He stresses that cybersecurity and data sovereignty are related but not the same. Foreign platforms may provide strong protection against hackers, he says, while still collecting and processing users’ data. Government data centers, meanwhile, mainly hold data from public institutions; much of the behavioral data generated through shopping and social media remains with private platforms. Subiakto warns that reliance on foreign infrastructure—including satellite internet in areas with limited connectivity—could leave Indonesia vulnerable to external influence, particularly during geopolitical conflicts.

The professor also raises concerns about algorithms shaping what people see and reinforcing preferences. He argues that recommendation systems may deepen dependence on digital services and intensify anger or social division, with possible effects on national character and public life. He further warns that workers and local businesses operating within platform economies may be exploited or left with little bargaining power as platforms expand.

Subiakto calls for a national roadmap toward digital sovereignty rather than allowing dependence to grow simply because foreign services are convenient. His proposals include strengthening Indonesian cybersecurity capabilities and companies, building and controlling domestic digital infrastructure—including satellites—and developing local platforms. He cites Gojek as an example of a homegrown service that could be further developed, and argues that foreign technology can be used where necessary but should not leave Indonesia without leverage to protect national interests. He also suggests greater regional cooperation, with Indonesia playing a leading role in shaping digital rules in ASEAN.

On responsibility, he says that under the law, an electronic-system provider is accountable when data it holds is leaked. But he argues that the state also has a broader responsibility to set rules and protect collective interests when citizens’ behavioral data is controlled by foreign platforms. For individuals, his advice is to be cautious about sharing personal information and to learn how to recognize online fraud. He says, however, that individual precautions cannot resolve the larger structural issue of platform dependence.

Presenters and Contributors

• Syafaati Suryo — presenter/host
• Professor Henri Subiakto — digital-regulation expert and guest contributor