Digital authoritarianism is becoming entrenched in Indonesia. New media laws offered the promise of protection, but online attacks have only increased in recent years.
Throughout 2019 journalists were frequently subject to criminal charges under the Electronic Information and Transaction Law (ITE Law), which makes cyber-defamation a crime. This provision can easily be misused to silence criticism, especially criticism of public officials.
In September 2019, independent journalist Dandhy Dwi Laksono was targeted as a suspect in the spread of hatred. He was arrested for his post about Papua and charged under the ITE Law concerning the spread of hate speech against individuals or groups based on racial and religious hatred.
