JAKARTA - Indonesia needs to realize that state sovereignty is no longer sufficient to be protected by controlling land, oceans and air. In the digital era, the power of a nation is also determined by its ability to control data, technology, and information systems that affect everyday life.
Therefore, according to senior researcher from the Indonesia Digital and Cyber Institute (IDCI), Taufiq A Gani, Wawasan Nusantara as a geopolitical perspective of the nation needs to be expanded reaching the digital realm as an integral part of national strategic interests.
In today's global landscape, Indonesia not only needs to maintain its territorial boundaries, but also secure the potential of the socio-economic and digital rights of its citizens, some of which are now outside the jurisdiction of national law. This is important following the trade agreement between Indonesia and the United States which was announced on July 22, 2025, in which Indonesia agreed to open access to cross-border personal data transfer and remove barriers to digital products from the US.
IDCI considers that this agreement is not just a matter of trade, but a test of sovereignty. When citizen data is managed abroad without domestic control, the country loses part of its strategic control.
"In a digitally connected world, information becomes a new weapon. It is invisible, but very strong," said Taufiq A Gani, in his statement, Friday, July 25.
Furthermore, IDCI explains that the world is now facing two major interconnected pressures: tariff wars and cyber warfare. These two forms of pressure are used by big countries to influence other countries not through physical occupation, but through the dominance of technology standards, data rules, and digital infrastructure.
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That is why the concept of sovereignty must be interpreted again. The state does not only have physical territory, but also needs to ensure control over digital networks, information platforms, and data lines used by its people.
The Cyber Security and Resilience Bill (KKS) which is being discussed in parliament, according to IDCI Executive Director Yayang Ruzaldy, is an important momentum to emphasize that digital space is a strategic area of the nation that needs to be regulated and maintained. BSSN and the Ministry of Communication and Digital Affairs (Kemenkomdigi), together with other stakeholders, are encouraged to develop a wider meaning of sovereignty, not just a matter of technicality, but as a basis for the doctrine of Indonesia's digital sovereignty in the future.
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