Press Council and KPPU Sign MoU to Prevent Digital Platform Monopoly

JAKARTA - The Press Council and the Competition Oversight Commission (KPPU) have officially signed a memorandum of understanding to tighten supervision of potential monopolistic practices and unhealthy business competition by digital platforms in the press ecosystem.

The signing was carried out by the Chairman of the Press Council Komaruddin Hidayat and the Chairman of the KPPU M. Fanshurullah Asa at the Press Council Building, Jakarta, Wednesday (17/12). This cooperation targets the protection of the national press industry from the dominance of digital platforms which are considered at risk of undermining media sustainability.

The memorandum of understanding includes coordination of the prevention of business competition violations, exchange of data and information, socialization and advocacy, to human resource development. The focus is clear: ensuring that the content distribution market and digital business models are fair for the media.

Chairman of the Press Council Komaruddin Hidayat said that cooperation with the KPPU was an important step to ensure that press freedom was not threatened by unhealthy business competition practices in the digital realm. According to him, this collaboration confirms the joint commitment to create a fair press ecosystem, so that national media can grow and compete healthily in the presence of digital platforms.

Meanwhile, the Chairman of the KPPU, M. Fanshurullah Asa, called the signing of this MoU as a momentum to optimize supervision and enforcement of competition law. He assessed that the potential for monopoly practices by digital platforms could have an impact on the sustainability of the press industry, so it requires strong coordination between institutions.

Chairman of the Digital and Sustainability Commission of the Press Council, Dahlan Dahi, added that digitalization brings new challenges for press sustainability, especially related to content distribution and business models. Through this cooperation, the Press Council and the KPPU will build an effective data exchange mechanism to monitor market behavior, as well as carry out joint socialization and advocacy.

This memorandum of understanding is valid for three years from the date of signing and will be followed up through a more detailed technical cooperation agreement.