Azis Subekti: Digital Sovereignty is a New Test of Indonesian Independence
JAKARTA - Member of Commission II of the DPR Azis Subekti said digital sovereignty is a new test for Indonesian independence. According to him, Indonesia is no longer facing physical colonization, but in the form of data, algorithms, artificial intelligence, digital infrastructure, and public information space.
The founder of the Indonesian Productive Society Association also assessed that digital transformation must be placed as a national strategic agenda. According to Azis, Indonesia should not only be a large market for global platforms, but must be able to determine its own direction in the world's digital economy.
"Every era always tests the meaning of independence. In the digital age, the test comes through data, algorithms, computing centers, undersea cables, social media, and artificial intelligence," Azis said in a statement, Thursday, June 25.
Azis said Indonesia is currently undergoing the largest digital transformation in its history. The internet network is getting wider, electronic transactions are becoming a habit of the community, online commerce is growing rapidly, public services are starting to move to digital platforms, and the younger generation is growing in an ecosystem that is increasingly determined by screens and applications.
However, he reminded that digital connectivity does not automatically mean digital sovereignty. He emphasized that a nation can have millions of internet users, but still depends on platforms, infrastructure, and technology systems controlled by outsiders.
According to Azis, Indonesia's biggest challenge is to ensure that the digital added value does not come entirely from within the country. He assessed that Indonesian people's data must be protected as part of the dignity of citizens and national interests.
"Indonesia can be very connected, but it does not necessarily mean it is truly sovereign. We must ensure that the digital economy does not only enrich the platform, but also expands national welfare," he said.
Azis also emphasized the importance of robust digital infrastructure. Undersea cables, data centers, satellites, cyber security, internet exchanges, and national computing capacity need to be seen as strategic infrastructure, just like ports, highways, airports, and power plants.
He said interference with data flows could have far-reaching implications for modern life. Not only disrupting communication, but also financial transactions, public services, trade, education, health, and government.
Apart from infrastructure, Azis assessed that Indonesia also needed to strengthen community resilience from information manipulation. According to him, the war in the digital era does not always start with troops crossing borders, but can come through disinformation, propaganda, influence operations, and emotional engineering in the digital space."What is being contested is not only data, but also human attention. From attention comes habits, from habits comes ways of thinking, and from ways of thinking comes the direction of civilization," he said.
Therefore, Azis encourages the government, business world, universities, technology community, media, schools, boarding schools, families, and civil society to jointly build a digital sovereignty agenda.
According to him, Indonesia must be open to the world, but still have the ability to regulate itself. Openness without protection can be a vulnerability, while openness accompanied by independence can be a strength.
"The biggest question is not just how fast the Indonesian internet or how big the digital economy is. The main question is whether digital transformation will strengthen Indonesia's independence or give birth to new dependencies," he concluded.