Indonesia Finally Passes Personal Data Protection Law
TECH DIGEST– The largest market in Southeast Asia finally approves a personal data privacy law after years of debate. This law will apply to both domestic and foreign companies that handle customer data from Indonesia.
The personal data protection law that had been under consideration in Indonesia since 2016 has finally been passed. The new Bill, according to the administration, will be crucial given the recent wave of data security breaches in the nation.
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The Personal Data Protection (PDP) Bill was approved by Indonesia’s House of Representatives earlier this month, opening the path for its ratification on Tuesday. The nation has now joined the list of Southeast Asian nations with specific laws protecting personal data, including Singapore and Thailand. Communications and Informatics Minister Johnny G. Plate had hailed the approval as a milestone and key to driving connectivity and advancements for the local digital sector. Plate said laws to safeguard personal data would help boost and facilitate the management of data security breaches, according to statutory board and state-owned news agency, Antara.
Since personal information is needed for public services and is processed digitally, the security breaches underscored the urgent necessity for the data protection bill, according to Antara. Identity card numbers (NIKs), for instance, were frequently used to complete the purchase of railway tickets as well as the registration of online apps.
