Journalistic Works Exploited by Digital Platforms and AI, Government Accelerates Copyright Law Revision to be Completed This Year

The government is accelerating steps to address the threat of exploitation of journalistic works by global digital platforms and artificial intelligence (AI) technology. The revision of the Copyright Law is targeted to be completed this year as a “legal shield” to protect press works while ensuring the sustainability of the media industry. Law Minister Supratman Andi Agtas reaffirmed this commitment following discussions with the Press Council and various media associations at the Press Council office in Central Jakarta on Thursday, 23 April 2026. The government assesses that pressure from the digital ecosystem is increasingly evident, particularly regarding the use of content without fair compensation. “We are facing extraordinary technological disruption. On one hand, it helps accelerate information, but on the other, we hope their presence provides economic benefits to our media industry, not kills the media,” Supratman emphasised to the media. According to him, journalistic works are not merely information products but high-value intellectual assets that must be firmly protected within the legal system. Therefore, the government is pushing for clear regulations on licensing and royalty mechanisms so that the press industry is not continuously disadvantaged in the digital distribution chain. On the legislative side, the revision process is said to have entered a crucial stage. The Copyright Bill (RUU) is now awaiting a Presidential Letter (Surpres) to appoint the government’s representative for discussions with the DPR. “In the near future, the government team is actually ready, the material is ready. It’s just waiting for the President’s letter to appoint the government’s representative to compile the DIM (List of Problem Inventory),” he explained. In addition to focusing on protecting journalistic works, this revision will also target improvements in the management of rights in other creative sectors, including the reorganisation of Collective Management Organisations (LMK) or Collective Management Organization (CMO), which have so far been deemed suboptimal. “We target the Copyright Law to be completed this year. Because there are too many issues, organisations regarding CMO, collective management institutions, all of that must be regulated and reorganised,” he stated. Support for accelerating this revision comes from various elements of the press industry, from the Press Council to associations such as AMSI, IJTI, and representatives of private television.