The Ministry Of Communication And Information Calls The Second Amendment ITE Bill Harmonized With The Criminal Code Law

APTIKA Director General of the Ministry of Communication and Information Semuel Abrijani Pangerapan in the Press Room of the Ministry of Communication and Information, Central Jakarta, Thursday (23/11/2023). (ANTARA/Livia Kristianti)

JAKARTA - Director General of Informatics Applications of the Ministry of Communication and Information (Kemenkominfo) Semuel Abrijani Pangerapan said that the Draft Law (RUU) for the second amendment to the Electronic Information and Transaction Law (ITE) was designed and harmonized with the Criminal Code Law to create sustainability.

Semuel said this was done so that people would no longer be confused about the application of the rules that are often found to overlap.

"Regarding the crime, the norms are already in the Criminal Code which has been determined and will take effect from January 1, 2026. We are aligning it so that there is continuity and also provides protection," said Semuel in the Press Room of the Ministry of Communications and Informatics, Jakarta, Thursday, November 23, which was confiscated by Antara.

In addition to being aligned with the latest Criminal Code Law, he said the ITE Bill brought an increase from the previous Law by providing clearer limits and exceptions regarding the use of articles in the regulation.

He gave an example related to the spread of immoral content, in the Bill on the second amendment to the ITE Law, exceptions were given to victims who revealed immoral content as a form of defense.

The man who is familiarly called Semmy referred to the Baiq Nuril case, which in 2012 was sentenced to confinement or fines even though he used the digital voice recording as evidence to defend himself.

Another example presented in the second amendment bill to the ITE Law is related to the rights of the community to associate and express opinions when it comes to the public interest, so they cannot be punished with the regulation.

With the changes brought in the second amendment to the ITE Law, Semmy hopes that similar incidents will no longer occur and victims can get true legal justice.

"So we give exceptions so that the use of these articles is not haphazardly used and this is what we do," he said.

Previously, on Wednesday, November 22, Commission I of the DPR together with the Ministry of Communication and Information (Kemenkominfo) had approved the Draft Law (RUU) on Information and Electronic Transactions (ITE) to be brought to the next Plenary Meeting and prepared to become a regulation.

Chairman of Commission I of the House of Representatives Meutya Hafid approved the approval of the ITE Bill at Nusantara II Building, DPR, Central Jakarta, in a joint working meeting with the Government, which was attended by the Minister of Communication and Information Budi Arie Setiadi.