Jakarta, InfoPublik - The passing of Personal Data Protection (PDP) Draft Law may accelerate the digital transformation in the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic time. The reason is that human has used the information technology as the main communications channel.

"A law on PDP is very important in accordance with President Joko Widodo's statement on the need of regulation to accelerate digital transformation," said Widodo Muktiyo, Communications and Informatics Ministry's director general of public information and communications, in a webinar under the theme "PDP Draft Law: A Personal Data Protection in Digital World" on Saturday, 12 September.

Upon the law comes into force, the public will have legal guarantee in cyber world. It may prevent cyber criminals lurking users in digital world.

"We aim to complete the PDP Draft Law deliberation immediately," he said.

He continued 55 percent Indonesian residents have more than one unit of smart phone. It shows that the internet has become a necessity for Indonesian residents in recent years. The growing number of smart phone users has prompted the realization of personal data protection.

In addition, 160 million Indonesian residents are actively surfing in digital world. It means the majority of the residents are already using the digital space in their daily life.

"More than half of the population are active in digital world. The data shows that Indonesians has become information society in digital sphere," he said.

Previously, nine factions of political party agreed to continue the deliberation of personal data protection draft law submitted by the Communications and Informatics Ministry to Level 1 Discussion.

The nine factions were Indonesia Democratic Party Struggle (PDIP), Functional Group (Golkar), Great Indonesia Movement (Gerindra), National Democrat (Nasdem), Nation Awakening Party (PKB), Democratic Party, Prosperous Justice Party (PKS), National Mandate Party (PAN), and Party of Unity and Development (PPP).

On 1 September, every faction of the political party designated one representative member of the House of Representatives to read out the views on the draft law. All members agreed that such legislation is urgently needed by the economic actors in the digital space.

(Writer: Tri Antoro, Editor: lsma, Translator: Filmon Warouw)