AGO on Wiretapping Deal with Telco Operators: Customer Data Protected, Fugitives Targeted
Reporter
July 1, 2025 | 05:02 pm
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Attorney General's Office (AGO) of Indonesia has refuted allegations of legal violations concerning its recently signed memorandum of understanding (MoU) with four major mobile operators regarding the use of customer data and wiretapping capabilities for law enforcement purposes. Harli Siregar, Head of the Legal Information Center at the AGO, asserted that the cooperation is legal and safeguards personal data.
"Personal data will be protected, but perpetrators need to be pursued," Harli said at the Attorney General's Office on Tuesday, July 1, 2025.
Harli was responding to criticism from the Civil Society Coalition, which deemed the cooperation prone to privacy violations and categorized it as illegal wiretapping. According to him, Article 31 paragraph (2) of the ITE Law is not applicable in this context. "It's not related. In fact, the Komdigi officials already declared that customer data will not be affected," he said.
The MoU was signed by the Deputy Attorney General for Intelligence, Reda Manthovani, and representatives from four operators: Telkom, Telkomsel, Indosat, and XL Axiata. The document outlines the exchange of data and information, including the installation of wiretapping devices and the provision of telecommunications records.
The AGO argues that the cooperation aligns with Article 30B of Law No. 11/2021, which authorizes the attorney general to conduct multimedia supervision and law enforcement intelligence.
In a press release, Deputy AG for Intelligence Reda emphasized the collaboration's importance in ensuring data validity and achieving "A1" qualification. "Data or information with an A1 qualification has various benefits, including for the search for fugitives or a list of wanted individuals," Reda explained.
However, the Civil Society Coalition contends that wiretapping is only legally permissible under specific laws and strictly within the context of criminal investigations, not for arbitrary data collection. The coalition refers to Article 40 of the Telecommunications Law, which prohibits wiretapping of information transmitted through communication networks without a clear legal basis.
Despite the criticism, the Attorney General's Office remains firm. Harli asserted that this cooperation actively supports the state's efforts to crack down on criminals. "So, we no longer need to capture those fugitives, should we just let them be?" he questioned.
Jihan Ristiyanti contributed to the report.
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