SAFEnet is a network of digital rights defenders in Southeast Asia established in 2013 in response to criminalization of online expression in Indonesia. SAFEnet initially focused on advocacy for freedom of expression online but has expanded to other digital rights issues. SAFEnet's 2020 report found that Indonesia has entered stage one of "digital authoritarianism" as technological oppression like internet shutdowns undermine freedoms of expression and assembly. The report identifies challenges including online censorship, problematic internet regulations, and mass surveillance. Draconian laws in Indonesia have led to undemocratic situations as cases involving activists, journalists and academics charged under the country's IET Law have increased in recent years.

1. AT THE BRINK
DIGITAL WEEK 2020 • Center for Indonesian Policy Studies
OF DIGITAL AUTHORITARIAN

2. SAFEnet is a network of digital rights defenders in Southeast Asia which was
established on 27 June 2013 in Bali, Indonesia. The establishment of SAFEnet was
motivated by the widespread criminalization of netizens because of its expression on
the Internet after the enactment of Law No. 11 of 2008 concerning Information and
Electronic Transactions (UU ITE). This prompted a number of bloggers, journalists,
Internet governance experts, and activists to form this association.
In 2018, SAFEnet began to widen the issue of advocacy towards the fulfilment of digital
rights after previously only focusing on advocating freedom of expression on the
Internet.
safenet.or.id
F/TW/IG/YT: @safenetvoice

3. IN INDONESIA
THIS JULY 2020
SAFEnet just released a yearly report on digital rights situation in Indonesia.
The 2020 report says the situation of digital rights protection in Indonesia is in a stage one
of digital authoritarian.
Technological oppression, like using bandwith throttling or blanket internet shutdown in
certain area, worsen the situation which already undermine freedom of expression and
freedom to have a peaceful protest.

4. DIGITAL RIGHTS ARE HUMAN RIGHTS
THE RIGHTS TO
EXPRESS FREELY
THE RIGHTS ON
SAFETY
Includes freedom to access the
Internet, such as the availability of
infrastructure, ownership and control
of ISP, digital divide, equality of access
between genders, filtering and web
blocking, and internet shutdown.
Includes diversity of content, freedom
to express opinions, and use of the
Internet in mobilizing civil society.
Includes free from mass-surveillance
and unlawful interception, protection
on privacy, and free from cyber
attacks.
THE RIGHTS TO
ACCESS FREELY

5. CHALLENGES SO FAR
Internet access for
everyone
Equal conversation for
everyone
Digital Divide
The Underprivileged People
Online Censorship
Internet Shutdown
Problematic Internet
Regulations
Repression to legal expression
Polarized Communication
Undemocratic Circumstances
Mass-Surveillance
Unlawful Interception
Data Breach (privacy issues)
Absent of privacy regulations
THE RIGHTS TO
EXPRESS FREELY
THE RIGHTS ON
SAFETY
THE RIGHTS TO
ACCESS FREELY
Everyone should free
from fears

6. IS DEMOCRACY
KILLED BY DIGITAL?
In the last decade, we see how (digital) democracy are declining. We see the
shrinking of civic space.
On the social media in particular, we see the war of information and the war
of disinformation.

7. Online Agitators are internet users who use digital
devices to carry out acts of incitement, to resist, to
riot, to rebel, to persecute others.
Online agitators use hoaxes/disinformation and
digital attacks to defeat their opponents.
Very often the bad actors also mobilize trolls and bot
accounts to do a systematic platform manipulation
or coordinated inauthentic behavior (CIB).
THE RISE OF BAD ACTORS

8. INDONESIA CASES

9. 3 1 2 3
7
20
36
30
83
53
25
22
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019
Recorded cases on IET Law
Jumlah
Based on category
Source: SAFEnet internal report 2020
DRACONIAN LAW LEAD TO
UNDEMOCRATIC SITUATION
3 3
0
34
2
7
1 0
7
1
8
4 3
5
3
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
Jurnalis/M
edia
Aktivis
Dosen/Guru
W
arga
Artis/Budayaw
an/Penulis
2017 2018 2019Based on victims

10. UNRELIABLE CONTENT MODERATION
Draconian moderation would endanger the
open nature of the Internet and further
marginalize under-represented voices.
UGC platform should respect human rights.
Using AI/machine learning, especially during
COVID-19, is a really bad decision.
Websites or platform with
no moderation at all would
be plagued with off-topic
content, trolling, and abuse
of digital rights.
Community guidelines alone
won’t work.

11. FOLLOW GUIDELINES HRC 38 SESSION
At Human Rights Council 38 session, in June-July 2018,
the Special Rapporteur for Freedom of Expression David
Kaye addresses the regulation of user-generated online
content.
He recommends that States ensure an enabling
environment for online freedom of expression and that
companies apply human rights standards at all stages
of their operations. Human rights law gives companies
the tools to articulate their positions in ways that
respect democratic norms and counter authoritarian
demands. At a minimum, companies and States should
pursue radically improved transparency, from rule-
making to enforcement of the rules, to ensure user
autonomy as individuals increasingly exercise
fundamental rights online. Download : https://freedex.org/wp-content/blogs.dir/2015/files/2018/05/G1809672.pdf

12. Thank you.
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