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House ‘prepared’ to open up about data protection bill
Ahead of a meeting with its government counterparts, the House of Representatives has promised to open up the draft personal data protection (PDP) bill that it had been deliberating behind closed doors.
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Communications and Information Minister Johnny G. Plate speaks to lawmakers during a meeting with the House of Representative in Jakarta on Oct. 16, 2021. (Courtesy of Kominfo/-)
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awmakers have promised to open up the results of their closed-door deliberations on the personal data protection (PDP) bill ahead of a key meeting with Communications and Information Minister Johnny G. Plate on Wednesday, after months of back-and-forth between the government and the House of Representatives.
Members of House Commission I overseeing intelligence and information said that the draft bill had been finalized and that the commission was prepared to pass it into law at the next scheduled plenary meeting.
Commission I deputy chairman Abdul Kharis Almasyhari of the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) offered scant details from the latest closed-door talks on Monday but insisted that his duty as chairman of the working committee responsible for the legislation was essentially complete.
He said the House would release a statement on the PDP bill and that the draft bill would be circulated publicly after the meeting with Minister Johnny wraps up.
“I could say that on Wednesday [my duties] are finished, we need only wait for the [next plenary’s] schedule to come out,” Abdul told reporters on Monday.
Once passed into law, Abdul said, the legislation would require data collectors and processors to guarantee the security of the personal data they handle. If a leak occurs, data controllers and processors can be held accountable. On top of that, any illegal use of personal data will be a criminal offense, although the politician did not elaborate further.
All eyes are on Wednesday’s meeting, with the House facing a wall of criticism for the opaque process of rushing the bill’s passage and the government offering little remorse for the rampant data breaches happening of late.
