Indonesia's Data Sovereignty at Risk: PP 71/2019 Under Scrutiny

In an era defined by escalating global geopolitical tensions and the looming threat of a 'Splinternet,' the concept of data sovereignty has emerged as a cornerstone of national resilience for Indonesia. Founder of Sobat Cyber Indonesia (SCI), Al Akbar Rahmadillah, has issued a stark warning to the government, highlighting the critical need to re-evaluate Government Regulation No. 71/2019 (PP 71/2019), which permits the placement of data centers abroad.

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Data sovereignty is national resilience. Amidst increasing global geopolitical tensions and the 'Splinternet' phenomenon, the policy of placing data centers abroad as regulated in Government Regulation Number 71 of 2019 (PP 71/2019) needs to be immediately evaluated.

Rahmadillah argues that allowing Indonesian citizens' data to be stored in foreign jurisdictions, beyond the nation's physical control, constitutes a perilous gamble with national security. The assumption of a perpetually stable and open global environment is increasingly untenable, as the realities of digital fragmentation, data protectionism, and interstate rivalries intensify. This shifting landscape renders the flexibility offered by PP 71/2019 concerning data location highly questionable from the perspective of safeguarding Indonesia's data sovereignty and national resilience.

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Allowing the data of the Indonesian people to be stored in foreign jurisdictions without physical control is a big gamble on national resilience.

The fundamental vulnerability of cross-border data storage lies in its dependence on international communication infrastructure, such as undersea cables. In times of geopolitical friction, these vital links become prime targets for sabotage. Should Indonesia's primary data reside in locations like Singapore or the United States, a disruption to these communication lines could lead to a catastrophic paralysis of all public and economic services reliant on that data. While discussions often focus on abstract notions of privacy, the tangible threat of physical disruption to data infrastructure cannot be ignored. From our vantage point, this is not merely an economic issue; it is a matter of strategic power and national survival in the evolving digital age.

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The assumption that the world will always be in a stable, open condition, free from geopolitical friction, is now increasingly difficult to maintain.