Jakarta, INTI - Deputy Home Affairs Minister Arya Bima Sugiarto said the core objective of implementing the One Data Bill is to integrate data rather than centralize it. His statement came after the government and the DPR Legislative Body agreed to advance the bill to the House of Representatives’ plenary session on Tuesday, October 6, 2026.
Arya said data custodians across Indonesia would continue to publish and manage their respective datasets as usual. He emphasized that the main principle of the One Data Bill is to integrate data without creating a centralized national data repository.
“The principle of the One Data Bill is data integration, but data in Indonesia will not be centralized. That is all,” Arya said at the Parliament Complex on Tuesday.
He explained that each regional government serves as the data custodian for information it publishes on a regular basis. As a result, regional governments will remain responsible for issuing and managing data within their respective jurisdictions.
The proposed legislation would also lead to the establishment of a new institution tasked with integrating the data. Arya did not provide details on the institution’s specific functions or how it would carry out the integration process.
He added that the establishment and structure of the new institution would ultimately fall under the authority of President Prabowo Subianto.
“The technical details regarding the institution will be regulated through a government regulation. President Prabowo will later determine what the institution will look like. The President has the flexibility to make that decision,” he said.
Cross-Border Data and Sovereignty
Meanwhile, Coordinating Minister for Law, Human Rights, Immigration, and Corrections Yusril Ihza Mahendra said the One Data Bill needs to provide greater clarity regarding the authorities and mechanisms governing data transfers across jurisdictions. The issue has become increasingly relevant as technology companies operate across national borders.
Cross-border data transfers have been a key issue in the development of the One Data Indonesia Bill since early 2026. During a meeting with the Ministry of National Development Planning (Bappenas) in January 2026, the DPR Legislative Body noted that the existing One Data Indonesia policy, established under Presidential Regulation No. 39 of 2019, still faced several challenges. One of them was the lack of comprehensive provisions governing cross-border data transfers.
“Data used by companies can involve multiple jurisdictions, so regulations need to clarify which data may be transferred, the mechanisms for transferring it, and which institutions have the authority to regulate and supervise such transfers,” Yusril said during a meeting with the US-ASEAN Business Council (USABC) in Jakarta, as quoted by Antara.
During the bill’s refinement process in July 2026, the DPR Legislative Body drafted a dedicated chapter on data sovereignty. The provisions cover data location and storage, personal data protection, cross-border data transfers, national security, data interoperability, legal jurisdiction, as well as administrative and criminal sanctions.
These developments indicate that cross-border data transfers under the One Data Indonesia framework are being treated as more than a technical issue involving the exchange of information. The discussion increasingly addresses broader questions concerning where data is stored, which country’s laws apply, which authorities have jurisdiction over data transfers, and how Indonesia can maintain sovereignty over data that is stored or processed outside its territory.
Conclusion
The One Data Bill is designed to strengthen national data integration while allowing regional governments to retain responsibility for their respective datasets. At the same time, the legislation seeks to address growing concerns over cross-border data transfers, jurisdiction, security, and data sovereignty as Indonesia expands its digital economy.
Read more: Indonesia Parliament Approves One Data Law Regulating AI and Blockchain