Domestic workers and the politics of legislative delay
For more than two decades, Indonesia has debated the need to legally protect one of the country’s most invisible workforces: domestic workers. Yet despite repeated commitments from lawmakers, the long-awaited Domestic Workers Protection Bill (RUU PPRT) remains stalled in the House of Representatives. The latest debate over dispute-resolution mechanisms shows that the problem is no longer simply legal complexity, but the politics of legislative delay.
Who owns the IP?
Indonesia’s digital economy is expanding at a remarkable pace. With more than 190 million internet users and one of the largest populations of gamers in the world, the country has become one of Southeast Asia’s most valuable digital markets. The problem, however, is increasingly obvious: while Indonesians generate enormous digital consumption, much of the economic value flows abroad. The key question is no longer whether Indonesia’s digital market is large. It is whether Indonesians actually own the intellectual property behind the content they consume.
When Wikipedia turns read-only
The Ministry of Communication and Digital (Komdigi) has restricted login access to Wikipedia since February 25, 2026, citing non-compliance with PSE regulations. Unlike a total ban, the restriction still allows users to read articles but prevents contributors from logging in and participating in the production of knowledge. What, then, is the likely outcome of this situation?
The fine line between tax compliance and financial surveillance
Indonesia’s effort to modernize its tax administration has entered a new stage. A recently issued regulation from the Finance Ministry requires credit card issuers and payment processors to submit transaction data to the Directorate General of Taxes (DJP). For the government, the policy is a logical extension of its ongoing push to strengthen compliance and expand the country’s limited tax base.
The Disposable Couriers
The debate surrounding the death sentence imposed on the Sea Dragon Tarawa crew members should not be reduced to a binary question of guilt or innocence. The more urgent issue lies on whether the punishment imposed is proportionate to the actual role, and whether law enforcement efforts have genuinely reached the main actors behind one of the largest drug smuggling operations in recent years.
Free speech wins in court
The acquittal of a so-called “buzzer boss” and the former news director of Jak TV by the Jakarta Anti-Corruption Court this week is more than a personal legal victory. It is a defining moment for free speech in Indonesia’s evolving democracy.
Golkar’s second regent in an OTT
The arrest of Fadia Arafiq in a recent sting operation (OTT) by the Commission for the Eradication of Corruption (KPK) has quickly evolved from a local legal case into a national political signal. With this operation, Fadia became the second Golkar regent to be ensnared in an OTT during President Prabowo Subianto’s administration, following the earlier case of Ardito Wijaya in Lampung Tengah.
Death penalty, due process and the Fandi case
Indonesia’s war on drugs has long been framed as a matter of national survival. With traffickers moving tons of narcotics across maritime borders, the state has consistently defended harsh penalties — including death sentences — as necessary deterrence. Yet the ongoing trial of Fandi Ramadhan, an Indonesian deckhand (ABK) accused of involvement in the smuggling of nearly two tons of methamphetamine aboard the Sea Dragon vessel, raises a more uncomfortable question: Can Indonesia defend the death penalty if due process itself is under scrutiny?
The technical implications of PP Tunas
Government Regulation No. 17/2025, or PP Tunas, has been presented as a long-overdue measure to protect children in digital spaces. With full implementation beginning in March 2026, the regulation introduces obligations for digital platforms to verify user age, restrict access based on risk classification and submit compliance information to regulators. While the objective of child protection is broadly supported, the technical provisions of PP Tunas raise significant legal and trade questions, particularly in light of Indonesia’s recent digital trade commitments under the Agreement toward Reciprocal Trade (ART) with the United States.
Mandatory education spending becomes a budget loophole
The Constitutional Court is now confronting a case that could redefine the meaning of Indonesia’s constitutional commitment to education. A petition challenging Law No. 17/2025 on the 2026 state budget questions whether President Prabowo Subianto’s flagship Free Nutritious Meals (MBG) program has been funded by effectively repurposing money meant for education. At stake is not just the legality of one program, but the integrity of a constitutional safeguard designed to protect the nation’s future.