[Petikan UU-ITE] Perihal Muatan yang Dilarang (Content Regulation)

Sonny Zulhuda: Under UU-ITE (the ‘Act’), several offences are provided mainly to ensure the creation of safe and trustworthy electronic environment that should protect consumers and finally help Indonesia’s e-commerce prosper. Other than the computer-related cybercrimes (such as hacking), there are offences laid down relating to the online content regulations. This aspect of the law has apparently stolen the limelight the first day when the Act was passed. Understandable enough due to the mounting pressures from public who wish to see actions from the Government, especially in handling online pornography in Indonesia.

To the drafters’ credit, the law identifies broad criteria of content which are offensive and prohibited. These include elements of indecency, gambling, insult, defamation, threat, extortion, fraud or misrepresentation prejudicial against consumers, hate speech, violence, and threats. The law also provides for penal punishment for each of these prohibited content. Does it mean Indonesia opts for a strict Internet censorship? Not necessary. I shall reserve my comment in different section(s) later in near future. For the provisions on this issue, here you go:

[Petikan UU-ITE] Cybersquatting, HAKI dan Perlindungan Data Pribadi

Sonny Zulhuda: UU ITE does cover more than what its name implies. This e-commerce law (note the name ‘e-Transaction’ ) does not only cover contractual issues, but also others such as evidentiary aspects, content regulation, cyber-squatting, IP and personal data protection, and also range of cybercrimes, although some aspects are dealt with in more details than others. This is one reason why this Indonesia’s first cyberlaw is distinct from other e-transaction laws in major countries and that in the UNCITRAL model law. In this respect, India is notably having similar approach.

In the following excerpt, one can find that the law provides some ruling on the cybersquatting, domain names management, protection of Intellectual Property Rights (IPR), and the personal data protection. The last two issues are touched in very minimum provisions, likely due to different reasons. While it is quite clear that regulations on IPR is minimum due to the existence of specific existing laws, it is not yet clear as to the Parliament’s intention in prescribing very minimum provisions on personal data protection. One may argue that the law on data protection should be specifically drafted on its own in near future.

[Petikan UU-ITE] Tentang Perikatan, Transaksi Elektronik dan Pertanggungjawaban

Sonny Zulhuda: Chapter Five of the Act adopts and applies the ‘functional equivalence’ principle on electronic contracts. The section’s objectives mainly to ensure the legality and enforceability of contracts in the electronic environment. This includes the provision on the choice of law and choice of forum, especially in the contracts that involve parties from different jurisdictions. Section 20 specifically deals with the issues of time of dispatch, hence the time in which contract is concluded. Meanwhile, section 21 is outstanding because it provides for a sharing of liability between the parties to transaction, agents and system provider. Here is the excerpt….

[Petikan UU-ITE] Tentang Informasi, Dokumen dan Tandatangan Elektronik

Sonny Zulhuda: From the title of the Act (i.e. ‘UU-ITE’), one can tell that the law deals (primarily but not merely) on issues of electronic transactions. Like its counterparts in many other jurisdictions, the law has adopted major provisions of the model law on e-commerce issued by the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (a.k.a. UNCITRAL). The thrust of e-commerce law, as mirrored in the UNCITRAL model law and the Indonesian version, is the importance of recognizing a functional equivalence of many aspects of e-transaction to those in traditional contracts. For example, the law should redefine the meaning of ‘document’, ‘message’, ‘originality’, and ’signature’. Likewise, the law should also eliminate legal doubt in relation to time and place of despatch/agreement, delivery, evidentiary value, communication and applicable law and courts for the transactions that are electronically executed.

On the issues above, we highlight what the Act has to say about the electronic information, electronic document and e-signature, and most importantly, their legality and admissability:
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[Petikan UU-ITE] Struktur Batang Tubuh UU-ITE

BAB I - KETENTUAN UMUM (Pasal 1-2)

BAB II - ASAS DAN TUJUAN (Pasal 3-4)

BAB III - INFORMASI, DOKUMEN, DAN TANDA TANGAN ELEKTRONIK (Pasal 5-12)

[Petikan UU-ITE] Definisi Istilah dalam UU ITE

BAB I: KETENTUAN UMUM

Dalam Undang-Undang ini yang dimaksud dengan:

1. Informasi Elektronik adalah satu atau sekumpulan data elektronik, termasuk tetapi tidak terbatas pada tulisan, suara, gambar, peta, rancangan, foto, electronic data interchange (EDI), surat elektronik (electronic mail), telegram, teleks, telecopy atau sejenisnya, huruf, tanda, angka, Kode Akses, simbol, atau perforasi yang telah diolah yang memiliki arti atau dapat dipahami oleh orang yang mampu memahaminya.

2. Transaksi Elektronik adalah perbuatan hukum yang dilakukan dengan menggunakan Komputer, jaringan Komputer, dan/atau media elektronik lainnya.

3. Teknologi Informasi adalah suatu teknik untuk mengumpulkan, menyiapkan, menyimpan, memproses, mengumumkan, menganalisis, dan/atau menyebarkan informasi.

4. Dokumen Elektronik adalah setiap Informasi Elektronik yang dibuat, diteruskan, dikirimkan, diterima, atau disimpan dalam bentuk analog, digital, elektromagnetik, optikal, atau sejenisnya, yang dapat dilihat, ditampilkan, dan/atau didengar melalui Komputer atau Sistem Elektronik, termasuk tetapi tidak terbatas pada tulisan, suara, gambar, peta, rancangan, foto atau sejenisnya, huruf, tanda, angka, Kode Akses, simbol atau perforasi yang memiliki makna atau arti atau dapat dipahami oleh orang yang mampu memahaminya.

[Petikan UU-ITE] Konsiderans UU Informasi dan Transaksi Elektronik

Sonny Zulhuda: As always in every Indonesian legislation, the new Electronic Information and Electronic Transaction Act (a.k.a. UU-ITE) mentions specific framework that spells out the philosophical, social and juridical backgrounds of the law. Here is the excerpt as to such framework that may help readers understand the objectives of the law (It’s in Indonesian, though):

The UU-ITE says:

Menimbang :

a. bahwa pembangunan nasional adalah suatu proses yang berkelanjutan yang harus senantiasa tanggap terhadap berbagai dinamika yang terjadi di masyarakat;

b. bahwa globalisasi informasi telah menempatkan Indonesia sebagai bagian dari masyarakat informasi dunia sehingga mengharuskan dibentuknya pengaturan mengenai pengelolaan Informasi dan Transaksi Elektronik di tingkat nasional sehingga pembangunan Teknologi Informasi dapat dilakukan secara optimal, merata, dan menyebar ke seluruh lapisan masyarakat guna mencerdaskan kehidupan bangsa;

Parliament Passed Indonesia’s first Cyberlaw

After more than 8 years, the long-awaited first cyberlaw legislation had finally made its way to the Indonesian legal system. The Indonesian lawmakers had finally given the nod to the law in its plenary meeting in Jakarta on Tuesday, 25th of March 2008. In its original language, the law is entitled ‘Undang-undang Informasi dan Transaksi Elektronik.’ I shall congratulate all parties who had been involved in the making of this law as this piece of legislation is surely becoming an important milestone for the making of the information society in the world’s fourth most populous country.

Soon after the law was passed, I received the final copy of the law from a friend of mine. The same final draft can also be downloaded from the website of the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology, Indonesia.

For the benefit of everyone, I am introducing excerpts of this law in other sections of this blog.

To be continued….

Reinvention of Future Governance through E-Government

By: Sonny Zulhuda*

Introduction

This paper is aimed at assessing the perspectives and experiences of Malaysia on the concept and application of electronic government (e-government), more on policy context. Attempts are made to observe preparatory initiatives taken by the government of Malaysia in three distinctive but interconnected aspects: administrative measures, regulatory frameworks, and public participation. Some update applications of e-government in Malaysia will also be touched at the later part. This paper will be ended by underlining the lessons that can be learned by Indonesia in seeking the best format for e-government application, especially in tabling policies and regulatory framework.

E-Government Defined

Electronic Government (E-Government) is variably defined, but basically refers to “the use by government agencies of information technologies (such as Wide Area Networks, the Internet, and mobile computing) that have the ability to transform relations with citizens, businesses, and other arms of government.”[1] Nevertheless in this context, this general meaning of the Information Technology (IT) has been so much associated to the use of the Internet. Thus e-government would generally mean the development and utilization of Internet-based solutions in government services and works. Exactly like e-commerce, which is a utilization of Internet-based solutions in business activities.

The Assessment of Indonesia’s Cyberlaw Bill: The Electronic Information and Transaction Bill (Rancangan Undang-undang Informasi dan Transaksi Elektronik – RUU ITE)

By Sonny Zulhuda

The current Electronic Information and Transaction Bill (`the Bill’) is considered the first initiative of the country to enact a comprehensive legislation on cyberlaw. There were initially two government agencies that came out with two different bill drafts at the same time. This fact reserves some comment in the later part of this paper.

 

The Ministry of Industry and Trade initiated the draft of Electronic Information and Electronic Transaction Bill. On the other hand, the Department of Tourism, Post and Telecommunication under the Ministry of Transport also came out with the draft of Information Technology Bill. This double initiative was uncoordinated creating prolonged, unfocused and unnecessary debates among academics and IT professionals.Nevertheless, the debates were deemed to have brought constructive ideas as well. It is noteworthy that the two drafts took different approach in formulating cyberlaw into legislation. While the Electronic Information and Electronic Transaction Bill was concentrated on e-commerce law and related aspects taking into account the requirements under UNCITRAL model law on e-commerce, the IT Bill was a general law (some called `umbrella law?) dealing with so many issues on general terms.