Minister of Law Supratman Andi Agtas asserted that the draft of the Anti-Disinformation and Foreign Propaganda Bill is not designed to limit press freedom, emphasizing that the bill addresses the challenges of managing information flow in the digital realm, particularly on social media. He clarified that the focus is not on mainstream media but on regulating content shared via social media, as specific regulations are currently lacking.
The bill, still in the academic manuscript preparation stage, defines “disinformation” as false information dissemination and discusses foreign propaganda in the context of information from outside Indonesia. Supratman assured that the aim is not to curb press freedom, a vital component of democracy.
Despite this, the Indonesian Legal Aid Foundation (YLBHI) raised concerns that the bill may infringe upon constitutional rights to freedom of expression and could become a tool for criminalizing critical citizens. YLBHI argues that the proposed legislation reflects an administration resistant to criticism, further fueled by the President’s accusations regarding foreign influence on domestic dissent.
