Event Summary
The Indonesian government’s plan for a Bill on the Prevention of Disinformation and Foreign Propaganda, announced on 14 January 2026, comes amid a wider trend of expansive security‑oriented regulation that threatens civic space. The government argues the bill is necessary to counter foreign information operations and harmful falsehoods targeting Indonesia’s political and economic stability, and has publicly confirmed work on a draft and its academic paper as part of the 2026 legislative agenda. Prabowo Subianto frames the initiative as a defensive measure against cross‑border “information warfare” and as a way to protect national resilience, especially in the digital sphere.
However, civil society groups warn that the bill’s broad framing around “disinformation” and “foreign propaganda” risks entrenching and expanding existing patterns of digital repression. Rights organizations, press‑freedom groups, and legal aid institutes point out that current laws—including the Electronic Information and Transactions Law and the newly enforced Criminal Code and Criminal Procedure Code—are already frequently used to criminalize peaceful expression, online criticism, and advocacy. They fear that a new, vaguely defined disinformation regime will further legitimize the targeting of activists, journalists, and organizations—particularly those working on sensitive issues or engaging with foreign partners—as security threats or “foreign agents.”
The bill also raises alarms about increased surveillance and tighter control over online platforms. Provisions under discussion would likely strengthen state authority to compel content moderation, data access, and takedowns, with limited independent oversight or effective remedies for those affected. This is especially worrying in a context where police and prosecutors already enjoy expanded powers of arrest, interception, and search with weak judicial checks. Together, the proposed disinformation bill and the recently enacted criminal law reforms risk normalizing a governance model in which protecting security and controlling narratives systematically trump protecting rights, deepening the chilling effect on Indonesia’s civic and digital space.