JAKARTA – The Ministry of Communication and Digital Affairs (Komdigi) says control over the digital space has become an increasingly important part of Indonesia’s efforts to safeguard its national sovereignty.
Komdigi Secretary General Ismail said technological development has transformed the country’s strategic landscape. While sovereignty was once primarily associated with territorial control, the ability to manage and protect the digital space has now become equally important.
Ismail made the remarks while leading a ceremony commemorating the 81st anniversary of Indonesia’s Independence Day at the Komdigi headquarters in Central Jakarta on Monday (Aug. 17, 2026).
According to Ismail, digital sovereignty is not limited to developing technological infrastructure. It also involves protecting data, developing national technology capabilities, securing the information space, and ensuring that people benefit from digital transformation.
“Sovereignty today is determined by a nation’s ability to control its infrastructure, protect its data, develop its technology, safeguard its information space, and ensure that society benefits from the digital transformation process,” Ismail said.
Three Strategic Agendas
To strengthen digital sovereignty, Komdigi is leading three strategic agendas included among the 60 National Priority Work Programs (PKPN) of President Prabowo Subianto’s Red and White Cabinet.
The three agendas are the development of the National Data Center (PDN), combating online gambling, and protecting children in the digital space through the implementation of Government Regulation No. 17 of 2025, also known as PP TUNAS.
Ismail said the three programs are closely connected because they ultimately serve the same objective: strengthening national sovereignty in the digital space.
“The three may appear to be different programs, but they share one common thread, namely sovereignty. Sovereignty means the state does not allow its digital space to be used to harm its people,” he said.
In its efforts to combat online gambling, Komdigi recorded action against approximately 3.7 million websites and pieces of content containing online gambling between Oct. 20, 2024, and July 12, 2026.
The government has also sought to disrupt financial channels linked to online gambling through coordination with the Financial Services Authority (OJK), Bank Indonesia, and law enforcement agencies. Around 32,500 bank accounts linked to online gambling activities have been closed.
Meanwhile, the implementation of PP TUNAS has also begun to show results in protecting children online. As of July 2026, approximately 4.7 million children’s accounts had been deactivated by digital platforms.
More than 204 platforms have also submitted self-assessments regarding their risk profiles to the government.
Ismail stressed that the policy is not merely intended to restrict children’s access to digital platforms, but to encourage greater responsibility across the digital ecosystem.
