KBRN, Jakarta: Director of Strategy and Digital Space Oversight Policy at the Ministry of Communication and Digital, Muchtarul Huda, shared his views on Indonesia’s digital transformation. He revealed that 74.6 percent of the country’s population is now connected to the internet.

Huda explained that the progress of digitalization in Indonesia is evident, particularly in terms of infrastructure and internet usage. Citing the We Are Social Report, he noted that 212 million Indonesians, equivalent to 74.6 percent of the population, are now online.

He also highlighted a significant increase in internet users, rising by 8.7 percent from 2024. “The number of users grew by 8.7 percent from 2024, reaching 195 million,” Huda said during a public discussion titled ‘The Impact of Maximum Economic Benefit Regulation on Online Lending’ at the Center of Economic and Law Studies (CELIOS) office in Jakarta, Monday, August 11, 2025.

Despite the growth in internet users, Huda raised concerns about a major issue: personal data protection. “Unfortunately, internet users still lack strength when it comes to protecting personal data,” he remarked.

He referred to survey results showing that many users are unaware of data security risks. According to the Indonesian Internet Service Providers Association, 74.59 percent of internet users in Indonesia do not understand the vulnerabilities related to data security.

“The survey found that 74.59 of Indonesian internet users are unaware of data security risks,” Huda said. He added that 23 percent of them have never taken any action to safeguard their data.

Huda warned that this situation leaves Indonesia vulnerable to cyber incidents, including data breaches and unauthorized access. “This condition clearly exposes weaknesses in data security,” he emphasized.

To address these challenges, Huda expressed appreciation for the enactment of the Personal Data Protection (PDP) Law. He explained that the law marks a significant shift in how personal data is managed.

“Before the PDP law, personal data was treated as an asset or property of organizations. With the law now in effect, personal data is recognized as a trust granted to data managers,” Huda concluded. ***

Translator: Annaila Syafa Azzahra

Editor: Sri Wahyuni