In the midst of rapid development of AI, the Minister of Law, Human Rights and Institutional Reform emphasized that the Disinformation Bill is still a discussion.

JAKARTA - The Minister of State Secretary (Mensesneg) Prasetyo Hadi emphasized that the plan to draft a bill to counter disinformation and foreign propaganda had not been ordered by the President. The issue, he said, was still limited to discourse and had not entered the official discussion stage.

"Not yet, not yet. It's still a discussion," said Prasetyo when met at the Presidential Palace Complex, Jakarta, Thursday, January 15.

He clarified that the spirit being discussed by the government was not to limit openness to information. The government instead highlighted the responsibilities behind platforms and sources of information, especially in the midst of rapid technological and artificial intelligence (AI) developments.

According to Prasetyo, technological progress must be accompanied by awareness of its impact. He reminded that AI and information technology should not be used irresponsibly, especially for destructive purposes. However, he emphasized that the positive use of technology must be pursued so that Indonesia is not left behind.

"The law has not been dug up. This is still a discussion," he said, stressing the difference with the existing ITE Law.

On the same occasion, Prasetyo also touched on another ongoing issue. Regarding the presidential regulation on online motorcycle taxi drivers, he said that further checks were still needed because the merger process at Danantara was asked to be accelerated and potentially affect the substance of the presidential regulation.