TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Head of the Presidential Communication Office, Hasan Nasbi, clarified that the personal data of Indonesian citizens shared with the United States under the trade agreement is limited to trade or commercial purposes.
He emphasized that the Indonesian government would still control the management of its citizens' data.
"Data concerning certain goods and services can go both ways. It could involve beneficial materials or dangerous items like bombs. That’s why transparency is necessary, knowing who the buyer and seller are," Hasan said at the Presidential Palace in Central Jakarta on Wednesday, July 23, 2025.
He explained that the data transfer arrangement between Indonesia and the United States is intended solely to facilitate the trade of certain goods and services. As an example, he cited the case of palm glycerol products.
Hasan pointed out that this product can be processed into either fertilizer or explosives. Because of its dual-use potential, the trade requires transparent data sharing.
"This is to prevent the materials from being used for harmful purposes," he added.
He also noted that the type of data to be transferred will align with Indonesia's Personal Data Protection Law, which he said ensures the security and protection of personal data.
On Tuesday, July 22, 2025, the White House released key points of the new trade framework between the United States and Indonesia. One clause stated that Indonesia would be required to provide its citizens’ personal data to the U.S., which would then manage it.
A day later, on Wednesday, July 23, 2025, Minister of Communication and Digital Affairs Meutya Hafid responded by saying the government would review the clause related to personal data transfers within the context of the U.S.-Indonesia tariff agreement.
"We plan to coordinate with the Coordinating Ministry for Economic Affairs to clarify this matter. A statement may be issued either by them or by our ministry," Meutya said at the Presidential Palace in Jakarta.
Meanwhile, cybersecurity and digital forensic expert Alfons Tanujaya from Vaksincom stressed the importance of government transparency on the data-sharing provisions in the agreement.
He warned that the agreement could open the door for banking data to be stored in cloud services abroad.
Currently, companies such as AWS, Google, and Microsoft are required to build local data centers in Indonesia. Alfons noted that if this agreement moves forward, these companies may no longer need to do so, as data could be stored in the U.S.
"This could reduce the cost of data services. Storing or backing up data in America is relatively cheaper than doing so in Indonesia," Alfons said on Wednesday, July 23, 2025.
Eka Yudha Saputra, Alif Ilham Fajriadi, and Melynda Dwi Puspita contributed to the writing of this article.
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