Sobat Cyber Seeks Indonesia's Data Sovereignty, Highlights PP 71/2019
Data sovereignty is national resilience. Amid rising global geopolitical tensions and the “Splinternet” phenomenon, the policy on placing data centres abroad as regulated in Government Regulation No. 71 of 2019 (PP 71/2019) needs to be evaluated immediately.
Founder of Sobat Cyber Indonesia (SCI), Al Akbar Rahmadillah, has warned the government that allowing Indonesian citizens’ data to be stored in foreign jurisdictions without physical control constitutes a major gamble with national resilience. According to him, the assumption that the world will always remain stable, open, and free from geopolitical friction is increasingly difficult to maintain.
“Because reality shows that digital fragmentation, data protectionism, and inter-state rivalries are strengthening, thus placing the policy of data location flexibility in PP 71/2019 in a position that needs to be re-evaluated from the perspective of Indonesia’s data sovereignty and national resilience,” said Akbar in a press release in Jakarta on Monday (27/4/2026).
He pointed out that one fundamental weakness of cross-border data storage is dependence on international communication infrastructure, such as undersea cables. In the current geopolitical tensions, those routes become easy sabotage targets.
“If the main data of Indonesian society is stored in Singapore or the United States, while the physical communication routes are cut off, then all public services and the economy that rely on that data will experience total paralysis,” Akbar stated.
Amid continuously heating geopolitical conditions, according to Akbar, the government often gets trapped in abstract discussions about privacy. However, they forget the real physical threats.
“If the main data of Indonesian society is stored on servers in Singapore or the United States, we are completely dependent on a single cable at the bottom of the sea. In a conflict or sabotage scenario, this route is an easy target. Once the cable is cut, our digital economy and public services will be instantly paralysed,” Akbar said.
He assessed that the enactment of PP 71/2019 initially came with a pro-investment and global cloud efficiency spirit. However, entering 2026, the world landscape has changed. Data is no longer just an economic commodity but a strategic power instrument.
“Today’s world is no longer divided only by territorial borders but by technological boundaries. The ‘open door’ policy towards data storage abroad now faces high risks due to cyber weapons and information embargoes that have become new diplomatic tools,” Akbar explained.