As we move toward a digital world, we clearly have a bureaucracy that is still stuck in an analog world, not only in terms of their capability but also in mindset. And now, as we move into the big data era, it raises the question of whether the government is really ready.

The latest breach targeted President “Jokowi” Widodo's personal data, including his vaccination records. Many people suspect that this was obtained from PeduliLindungi, an app that we are all required to use as a digital passport to access public spaces such as malls and public transportation.

Population and Civil Registry Director General Zudan Arif Fakrulloh insisted there was no leak, but his answer was obscure: “It’s a case of someone using other people’s data to get data from others.”

Whatever that means, he is off the hook.

No one in their right mind would dare to use Jokowi’s personal information. The President’s data was leaked more to tell the rest of us that if they can do this to the number one person in the country, they can easily do it to the rest of us.

When reports emerged that data from the Electronic Health Alert Card (eHAC) app had been breached, the Health Ministry initially acknowledged it but later assured there had been no leak and that the data was safe. Still, the fact that it had taken the ministry a whole month to respond to the first report of eHAC data being compromised begs the question of its poor response. 

We have seen a similar lack of accountability in earlier data breach incidents, namely at the Healthcare and Social Security Agency (BPJS Kesehatan) and BRI Life, an insurance company under state-owned Bank BRI. Each time, news about the case surfaced only to be buried by denials and obfuscations.

One can begin to wonder whether the delay in the deliberation of a data protection bill in the House of Representatives may be deliberate to protect the digitally incompetent bureaucracy.

House members involved said the bill, which should have been passed in May, was held up over the question of the oversight agency. Communications and Information Minister Johny Plate wants the agency to fall under his charge while House members say it should be an independent agency reporting directly to the President.

Since his first term started in 2014, President Jokowi has been pushing for the creation of an e-government that would simplify many procedures and improve public services. Indonesia has been slow to come up with the necessary legislation to protect data when compared to its neighbors.

But even if we have the law in place, these data breaches raise the question of whether our bureaucracy has the capability to handle big data and, more importantly, take responsibility for it. These incidents are not encouraging.