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House, government remain at odds over data protection bill
Lawmakers are attempting to fast-track the deliberation of a data protection bill despite differences with the government on the establishment of a supervisory body to handle violations.
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Indonesia has yet to join the club of nations, which include Brazil, China and India, that have issued stringent regulations on personal data protection. (Shutterstock/PopTika)
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awmakers are pushing to pass a long-anticipated law on data protection by June, despite persistent disagreements on key points and an upcoming recess that will cut deliberations short.
The personal data protection bill, which has been in the works since 2014 and was put forward for passage by the Communications and Information Ministry, has become more pressing as the COVID-19 pandemic drives unprecedented levels of online activity.
Data privacy advocates have urged Indonesia to set up its own data protection framework, as simply having an email account can expose an internet user to cybercrime.
But differences in opinion between the government and legislators were still apparent on Tuesday, less than a week before the House of Representatives goes into recess.
The main point of contention continues to be the design of a planned data protection agency.
The government has proposed that the agency be established under the Communications and Information Ministry, borrowing from similar arrangements in Singapore and Malaysia.
However, members of House Commission I overseeing defense, foreign affairs, information and intelligence, have insisted that the proposed agency be independent of the government.
