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Time of India
27-06-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Indonesia signs wiretapping pacts with telco operators; analysts flag privacy concerns
By Ananda Teresia and Stefanno Sulaiman JAKARTA: Indonesia's Attorney General Office has signed an agreement with four telecommunication operators to install wiretapping devices, an official from the Office said, raising questions among analysts about the potential impact on privacy and surveillance. The agreement, signed on Tuesday, would allow prosecutors to access telecommunication recordings and enable data exchange for law enforcement purposes, the Attorney General Office spokesperson Harli Siregar told Reuters on Thursday. "We have many fugitives and need technology to detect them," Siregar said, referring to the agreement signed with the country's largest telco company Telekomunikasi Indonesia and its unit Telekomunikasi Selular, as well as two other companies Indosat , and XLSMART Telecom Sejahtera . The pacts, which would include mobile phones, are in accordance with a law passed in 2021 giving wiretapping authority to the Attorney General Office, Siregar added. Indonesia's police and anti-graft agency are already able to use wiretapping, Wahyudi Djafar, an analyst focused on digital governance and public policy told Reuters. But he said the new arrangement with the Attorney General Office could allow prosecutors to use surveillance even on the grounds of suspicion without formal charges or legally named suspects in an investigation. Djafar, who is the Public Policy Director at Rakhsa Initiatives, an Indonesia-based think tank focused on digital governance and strategic security issues, said he feared the agreement could potentially widen the scope of wiretapping and lead to mass surveillance. "There is no clear limitation on how the wiretap will be conducted and for how long and who can use the data," he said, adding "the (AGO) office's wiretapping power will be stronger than the police and anti-graft agency." The Attorney General Office spokesperson Siregar, responding to the privacy concerns, said the office will only wiretap fugitives. When asked about the extent of the wiretapping powers, Siregar said the act would "not be done arbitrarily." Damar Juniarto, a board member at global rights group Amnesty International in Indonesia, said the wiretapping agreements would mean more state agencies doing surveillance, potentially further threatening civil liberties. Indonesia's Presidential Communication Office did not immediately respond to a request for comment regarding the concerns about the impact of wiretapping laws on civil liberties. Merza Fachys, a director at XLSMART, one of the telco companies, told Reuters that the Attorney General Office is one of the state agencies allowed to wiretap, and ensures customer data would be safe. A data protection law, passed in 2022, imposes corporate fines for mishandling customers' data. The biggest fine is 2% of a corporation's annual revenue and could see their assets confiscated or auctioned off.
Business Times
26-06-2025
- Politics
- Business Times
Indonesia signs wiretapping pacts with telco operators; analysts flag privacy concerns
[JAKARTA] Indonesia's Attorney General Office has signed an agreement with four telecommunication operators to install wiretapping devices, an official from the Office said, raising questions among analysts about the potential impact on privacy and surveillance. The agreement, signed on Jun 24, would allow prosecutors to access telecommunication recordings and enable data exchange for law enforcement purposes, the Attorney General Office spokesperson Harli Siregar told Reuters on Thursday (Jun 26). 'We have many fugitives and need technology to detect them,' Siregar said, referring to the agreement signed with the country's largest telco company Telekomunikasi Indonesia and its unit Telekomunikasi Selular, as well as two other companies Indosat, and XLSMART Telecom Sejahtera. The pacts, which would include mobile phones, are in accordance with a law passed in 2021 giving wiretapping authority to the Attorney General Office, Siregar added. Indonesia's police and anti-graft agency are already able to use wiretapping, Wahyudi Djafar, an analyst focused on digital governance and public policy told Reuters. But he said the new arrangement with the Attorney General Office could allow prosecutors to use surveillance even on the grounds of suspicion without formal charges or legally named suspects in an investigation. A NEWSLETTER FOR YOU Friday, 8.30 am Asean Business Business insights centering on South-east Asia's fast-growing economies. Sign Up Sign Up Djafar, who is the Public Policy Director at Rakhsa Initiatives, an Indonesia-based think tank focused on digital governance and strategic security issues, said he feared the agreement could potentially widen the scope of wiretapping and lead to mass surveillance. 'There is no clear limitation on how the wiretap will be conducted and for how long and who can use the data,' he said, adding 'the (AGO) office's wiretapping power will be stronger than the police and anti-graft agency.' The Attorney General Office spokesperson Siregar, responding to the privacy concerns, said the office will only wiretap fugitives. When asked about the extent of the wiretapping powers, Siregar said the act would 'not be done arbitrarily.' Damar Juniarto, a board member at global rights group Amnesty International in Indonesia, said the wiretapping agreements would mean more state agencies doing surveillance, potentially further threatening civil liberties. Indonesia's Presidential Communication Office did not immediately respond to a request for comment regarding the concerns about the impact of wiretapping laws on civil liberties. Merza Fachys, a director at XLSMART, one of the telco companies, told Reuters that the Attorney General Office is one of the state agencies allowed to wiretap, and ensures customer data would be safe. A data protection law, passed in 2022, imposes corporate fines for mishandling customers' data. The biggest fine is 2 per cent of a corporation's annual revenue and could see their assets confiscated or auctioned off. REUTERS
Reuters
26-06-2025
- Politics
- Reuters
Indonesia signs wiretapping pacts with telco operators; analysts flag privacy concerns
JAKARTA, June 26 (Reuters) - Indonesia's Attorney General Office has signed an agreement with four telecommunication operators to install wiretapping devices, an official from the Office said, raising questions among analysts about the potential impact on privacy and surveillance. The agreement, signed on Tuesday, would allow prosecutors to access telecommunication recordings and enable data exchange for law enforcement purposes, the Attorney General Office spokesperson Harli Siregar told Reuters on Thursday. "We have many fugitives and need technology to detect them," Siregar said, referring to the agreement signed with the country's largest telco company Telekomunikasi Indonesia and its unit Telekomunikasi Selular, as well as two other companies Indosat, and XLSMART Telecom Sejahtera. The pacts, which would include mobile phones, are in accordance with a law passed in 2021 giving wiretapping authority to the Attorney General Office, Siregar added. Indonesia's police and anti-graft agency are already able to use wiretapping, Wahyudi Djafar, an analyst focused on digital governance and public policy told Reuters. But he said the new arrangement with the Attorney General Office could allow prosecutors to use surveillance even on the grounds of suspicion without formal charges or legally named suspects in an investigation. Djafar, who is the Public Policy Director at Rakhsa Initiatives, an Indonesia-based think tank focused on digital governance and strategic security issues, said he feared the agreement could potentially widen the scope of wiretapping and lead to mass surveillance. "There is no clear limitation on how the wiretap will be conducted and for how long and who can use the data," he said, adding "the (AGO) office's wiretapping power will be stronger than the police and anti-graft agency." The Attorney General Office spokesperson Siregar, responding to the privacy concerns, said the office will only wiretap fugitives. When asked about the extent of the wiretapping powers, Siregar said the act would "not be done arbitrarily." Damar Juniarto, a board member at global rights group Amnesty International in Indonesia, said the wiretapping agreements would mean more state agencies doing surveillance, potentially further threatening civil liberties. Indonesia's Presidential Communication Office did not immediately respond to a request for comment regarding the concerns about the impact of wiretapping laws on civil liberties. Merza Fachys, a director at XLSMART, one of the telco companies, told Reuters that the Attorney General Office is one of the state agencies allowed to wiretap, and ensures customer data would be safe. A data protection law, passed in 2022, imposes corporate fines for mishandling customers' data. The biggest fine is 2% of a corporation's annual revenue and could see their assets confiscated or auctioned off.
The Star
30-05-2025
- Business
- The Star
Indonesia calls in Singapore oil traders over Pertamina probe
Motorists queue at a PT Pertamina gas station in Jakarta, Indonesia, on Saturday, Dec. 7, 2024. - Bloomberg JAKARTA: Indonesian investigators have invited Singapore-based oil traders to meet in the city-state next week as part of a US$12 billion corruption probe into state-owned oil firm PT Pertamina. The requests from the Indonesian attorney general's office come after earlier notices, sent over the past month, seeking cooperation in the investigation. Some Singapore-based traders have been asked to attend meetings from Monday (June 2) onwards, said Harli Siregar, a spokesman for the office, adding there was no confirmation that they would attend. "What matters is that they're willing to be questioned,' Siregar said by text message. "If investigators have to go [to Singapore], that's not a problem.' There is no suggestion that those called to assist in the wider investigation have been accused of any wrongdoing. Indonesian newspaper Tempo reported Tuesday that the attorney general had asked a unit of Pertamina to assist in calling in nine individuals in Singapore, citing an unnamed person with direct knowledge of the investigations. The report identified the individuals as employees of large trading companies including BP Plc, Glencore Plc and Vitol SA, among others. BP and Glencore declined to comment. A Vitol spokesperson said the company works in compliance with all applicable laws and regulations, and "seeks to have an open and transparent relationship with the relevant authorities in the jurisdictions in which it operates.' Singapore-based traders and companies that have received the requests have sought external legal advice to determine the extent of their obligation to foreign investigators, according to people directly involved in these efforts, who asked not to be identified as they are not authorised to speak publicly. It is not clear if Indonesia has formally sought Singapore's help under an existing mutual legal assistance treaty. The Attorney-General's Chambers in Singapore did not immediately respond to an email seeking comment. - Bloomberg
The Star
20-05-2025
- Business
- The Star
Indonesia approaches trading firms in Singapore in Pertamina investigation
The oil traders had received notices asking them to assist in answering questions on overall governance and past transactions. - AFP JAKARTA: The Indonesian Attorney General's Office has approached a number of trading firms in Singapore regarding a corruption investigation involving state energy firm Pertamina, it said on Monday (May 19). A number of executives at subsidiaries of Pertamina were arrested earlier this year for alleged corruption related to oil imports between 2018 and 2023 that caused US$12 billion in state losses. Pertamina publicly apologised and promised to improve transparency following the arrests. Investigators now want to question some Singapore trading companies about the case, Harli Siregar, a spokesperson for the Attorney General's Office, told Reuters. Earlier attempts to summon the companies - whose names have not been disclosed - to Jakarta were unsuccessful, so the companies could possibly be questioned in Singapore, Siregar said. "These companies will be questioned to strengthen the evidence-gathering for the ongoing investigation," Siregar said, declining to give further details. "We respect the ongoing legal process and support the Attorney General's Office in its investigation and law enforcement efforts in accordance with applicable regulations," Pertamina spokesperson Fadjar Djoko Santoso said in response to a Reuters request for comment. At least four trading companies have received a letter to assist with the investigation at Singapore's Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau (CPIB),four sources with knowledge of the matter told Reuters, asking not to be identified due to the sensitive nature of the case. CPIB did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment. Bloomberg earlier reported the news that Singapore trading firms had been approached in the investigation. The Indonesian Attorney General's Office said it has questioned hundreds of witnesses in the probe. - Reuters
