Amnesty International reported on May 2 that Indonesia, the country’s most popular Muslim-majority state, has released spyware tools made of from Israel, the European Union, and Malaysia, raising concerns about protection and freedom of expression.
Rights groups are now voicing concerns about online restrictions in Southeast Asia’s largest market, which claim laws were used to censor opinions and restrict free speech on social media.
Amnesty International said in a joint research with Asian, Jewish, and American media outlets that Jakarta used a range of invasive tracking and malware resources against opponents, media, and activists between 2017 and 2023.
The instruments were purchased from a network of agents, resellers and distributors in Luxembourg, Israel, Malaysia and Singapore and used by organizations and state agencies, including the National Police and National Cyber and Crypto Agency ( BSSN), according to Amnesty.
Additionally, the investigation found destructive domains that were supposedly used to elude visitors to Indonesia.
The dark deal in spyware adds yet another potentially obtrusive tool to the list. This cannot be allowed to continue”, Carolina Rocha de Silva of Amnesty’s Security Lab said in a statement.
The Communication and Information Ministry, the National Police, and BSSN did not immediately respond to AFP requests for comment.
One of the firms named in the research is Luxembourg-based Q Cyber Technologies SARL, which has been linked to the Jewish company NSO Group whose Pegasus spyware has been used to target well-known journalists and government authorities.
According to the research, the businesses have complex ownership structures that can obscure exports, making oversight hard because products arrive in Indonesia both directly and indirectly.
In remarks to Amnesty, Israel’s NSO Group said it conducts expected dedication before approving profits, while Israel’s Defence Export Controls Agency said it authorises digital exports to governments “only for anti- despair and law protection” means.
Since Indonesia and Israel do not have official diplomatic relations, there is a lot of support for the Palestinian cause in the island.
Amnesty International urged Indonesia to do more to shield its people from widespread intrusiveness and security.
We urge the Indonesian government and parliament to pass meaningful laws, including a ban on invasive spyware that cannot be used in a respectable manner, according to Amnesty Indonesia’s senior director Usman Hamid.