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Lawmaker proposes new role for BSSN to break deadlock on personal data protection bill
The proposal comes as the government and House remain at loggerheads over the provision to establish a data protection agency to implement the PDP bill, which has effectively stalled the bill’s deliberation.
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Cyber security: The logo of the National Cyber and Encryption Agency (BSSN) is seen on the agency’s office in Jakarta on March 15, 2019. A Golkar Party politician has suggested that the agency be given additional responsibility to oversee the implementation of the upcoming Personal Data Protection Bill. (JP/Dhoni Setiawan)
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lawmaker has proposed that the National Cyber and Encryption Agency (BSSN) oversee the implementation of the personal data protection (PDP) bill, in a move aimed at breaking the deadlock over the bill, which is still being deliberated at the House of Representatives.
The proposal comes as the government and House remain at loggerheads over the provision to establish a data protection agency to implement the PDP bill, which has effectively stalled the bill’s deliberation.
The government has proposed the agency be placed under the Communications and Information Ministry, while a majority of lawmakers has insisted on the agency’s independence from the government to avoid conflicts of interest.
If approved, the proposal would give additional responsibilities to the BSSN, which was set up in 2017 to formulate government policies on cybersecurity.
Christina Aryani, a member of House Commission I overseeing defense, foreign affairs, information and intelligence, proposed that the BSSN could be given a new mandate to implement the PDP bill.
She, however, pointed out that ideally, the data protection agency should be an independent body and added that the proposal should be first discussed with the government.
“The proposal to empower the BSSN represents the House’s good faith so that the personal data protection bill can be passed, if President Joko ‘Jokowi’ Widodo does not want to establish a new agency [to enforce the bill],” Christina said as quoted by Kompas.id on April 6.
