Back in 2008, we expected better protection against cybercrime when the Electronic Information and Transactions (ITE) Law was passed. The ITE Law is back at the House of Representatives for amendment, as it has become “draconian” to many. It turns out that anyone can fall victim to its provisions on defamation, which currently carry a harsher maximum penalty than the Criminal Code does. A private regional watchdog on the right to freedom of expression in cyberspace, the Southeast Asia Freedom of Expression Network (Safenet), has reported that 200 people in Indonesia have been prosecuted for violating the law since its enactment, mostly for defamation.

There have been little signs of how the law will be improved, especially regarding provisions that can see anyone dragged into court over thoughtless postings, in which there are likely to be slips of the tongue.

However...