Amended Human Rights Law Strengthens Global Tech Companies' Accountability

Human rights standards in business operations are not sector-specific. Jakarta (ANTARA) - The Ministry of Human Rights has stated that the revision of Law No. 39 of 1999 on Human Rights will strengthen corporate accountability, including global tech companies, in applying human rights principles in Indonesia. Human Rights Ministry Expert Wahyudi Djafar, speaking at a public hearing on the Human Rights Law revision in Jakarta on Monday, said multinational tech companies must respect human rights even without a physical office in Indonesia. ‘Human rights standards in business operations are not sector-specific,’ said Wahyudi. He stated that human rights standards apply not only to extractive and manufacturing sectors but also to digital tech companies managing data and public information distribution. ‘Tech companies may be more advanced, as human rights issues have been part of discussions since the 2005 World Summit on the Information Society,’ he said. He noted that Meta previously conducted a human rights impact assessment after its platform was accused of contributing to propaganda that sparked social conflict in Myanmar. ‘When Indonesia has a legally binding instrument, companies must comply with the rules,’ he said. He acknowledged that implementing human rights principles in the corporate sector remains challenging as many firms prefer using sustainability terms over directly referencing human rights. ‘It is indeed challenging to integrate human rights terminology into corporate operations,’ Wahyudi said. The Ministry of Human Rights is currently conducting public hearings on the Human Rights Law revision before the draft enters the harmonisation and further discussion stage with Parliament.