Indonesia advances digital sovereignty through data centers, gambling crackdown, and child protection

Indonesia advances digital sovereignty through data centers, gambling crackdown, and child protection

Indonesia is reinforcing its digital sovereignty through three strategic initiatives designed to ensure the nation controls its digital infrastructure, secures sensitive data, and protects its citizens online, the Ministry of Communication and Digital Affairs announced Monday during the 81st Independence Day commemoration.

The three-pronged approach centers on developing the National Data Center (PDN), combating online gambling, and protecting children in digital environments—priorities that align with this year's Independence Day theme: "A Sovereign, Just, and Prosperous Indonesia."

Consolidating fragmented government data infrastructure

The ministry is working to centralize Indonesia's scattered government data infrastructure through the National Data Center initiative. Currently, more than 2,700 individual data centers and servers operate across various government bodies nationwide, creating fragmentation that poses security, efficiency, and reliability challenges.

Indonesia plans to build three National Data Centers in total: the first in Cikarang, Bekasi, West Java; the second in Batam, Riau Islands; and the third in the future Nusantara Capital City. The Cikarang facility, constructed through a government-to-government financing arrangement with France involving a EUR 164.68 million loan (approximately IDR 2.7 trillion), was originally scheduled for completion on August 17, 2024, but faced delays and is now targeted for full operationalization by June 2026.

Secretary-General Ismail, who has over 25 years of government service and previously helped initiate the Palapa Ring national backbone project, emphasized that digital sovereignty now extends far beyond traditional physical borders.

"Today's sovereignty is defined by our national capability to manage infrastructure, safeguard data, advance technology, maintain the information space, and ensure that the public truly benefits from digital transformation."

The ministry continues strengthening inter-agency collaboration to maximize National Data Center utilization and facilitate data integration. One successful example is the digitization of social protection programs, enabled by the ministry's Government Service Bus platform.

Dismantling the online gambling ecosystem

The second priority addresses Indonesia's rapidly escalating online gambling crisis. Between October 20, 2024, and July 12, 2026, authorities took down approximately 3.7 million online gambling sites and content items. Additionally, 32,500 bank accounts affiliated with gambling activities have been closed to disrupt financial flows within the gambling ecosystem.

The scale of the problem is substantial. Indonesia's online gambling transactions surged from just 250,700 transactions worth Rp 2 trillion in 2017 to 209.57 million transactions worth Rp 359.81 trillion in 2024—representing growth exceeding 17,000 percent over seven years. The Indonesian Financial Transaction Reports and Analysis Center (PPATK) reported that at least 8.8 million Indonesians participated in online gambling in 2024, including 80,000 children under age 10. Total turnover reached approximately Rp 900 trillion (about USD 56 billion) in 2024.

Pioneering digital child protection

The third agenda focuses on creating a safer online environment for minors through strict enforcement of Government Regulation No. 17 of 2025 on Electronic System Governance for Child Protection (PP Tunas). Enacted on March 27, 2025, with full implementation scheduled for March 28, 2027 after a two-year adjustment period, the regulation positions Indonesia alongside Australia as among the earliest countries to establish specific legal frameworks for protecting children on social media.

PP Tunas requires digital platforms to implement age verification technologies, obtain parental consent for users under 17 within 24 hours, and prohibits profiling of minors for commercial purposes. Non-compliance can result in fines, service suspension, or complete blocking within Indonesia.

As of July 2026, digital platforms operating in Indonesia had deactivated approximately 4.7 million accounts belonging to minors in compliance with the regulation. More than 204 platforms had submitted self-assessment risk profiles to the government.

Strategic framework for digital independence

These initiatives form part of the ministry's 2025–2029 Strategic Plan, built on three pillars: Connected, Growing, and Protected. The framework addresses critical infrastructure dependencies, including Indonesia's current reliance on Singapore for approximately 90 percent of its international internet traffic—a bottleneck the ministry identifies as threatening Indonesia's ambitions to expand its digital economy and advance artificial intelligence capabilities.

"These three pillars serve as the promise of digital independence, driving the vision of a sovereign, just, and prosperous Indonesia,"

Ismail said. The Ministry of Communication and Digital Affairs was established in its current form through a rebranding from the Ministry of Communication and Informatics in January 2025, under Minister Meutya Hafid who took office on October 21, 2024.