Indonesia investigating alleged data breaches at state-owned firms

JAKARTA - Indonesia is investigating alleged personal data breaches at state-owned telecoms firm PT Telkom Indonesia's Internet service IndiHome and state utility PT Perusahaan Listrik Negara (PLN), its communications ministry said on Sunday (Aug 21).

Mr Semuel Abrijani Pangerapan, a senior communications ministry official, said in a statement that the ministry had summoned representatives from Telkom and PLN, and had sent recommendations on data protection to both firms.

A Telkom spokesman said on Monday that there was no breach of IndiHome customers' data.

PLN's spokesman did not immediately respond to a request for comment although the utility was quoted by local media as saying last Saturday that it was investigating an alleged breach.

Indonesia has had a slew of alleged data breaches in recent years, including on its Covid-19 screening app which led to President Joko Widodo's vaccine records being shared widely on social media in September.

A data protection Bill aiming to bolster the country's cyber-security infrastructure was submitted to Parliament in 2020 but has yet to be passed.