The Indonesian Ministry of Communications and Digital Application has affirmed that the recently announced trade agreement with the United States will not lead to unrestricted personal data transfers, but instead establishes a legal, safe, and accountable framework for cross-border data governance.

Minister of Communications and Digital Application, Meutya V. Hafid, said the agreement, officially announced by the White House on July 22, 2025, provides a lawful basis for protecting Indonesian citizens' personal data when accessing digital services provided by U.S.-based companies such as search engines, social media platforms, cloud storage, and e-commerce.

“The core principles are good data governance, individual rights protection, and national legal sovereignty,” Meutya said as quoted in a statement on Thursday, July 24, 2025.

“As the White House statement noted, this is based on adequate data protection under Indonesia’s law,” she added.

She clarified that cross-border data transfers are allowed only for legitimate, limited, and legally justifiable purposes. These include the use of search engines like Google and Bing, cloud storage services, digital communications via platforms such as WhatsApp, Facebook, and Instagram, e-commerce transactions, and activities related to research and innovation.

All cross-border data flows will remain under the strict oversight of Indonesian authorities and must comply with national legal frameworks. The legal basis includes Law No. 27/2022 on Personal Data Protection and the earlier Government Regulation No. 71/2019 on Electronic Systems and Transactions, which explicitly outline the procedures and requirements for sending personal data outside Indonesian jurisdiction.

“The data flow to the U.S. will not happen arbitrarily,” Meutya stressed. “It will be conducted within a framework of secure and reliable data governance, without compromising citizens’ rights.”

She added that Indonesia is committed to keeping pace with global digital economic developments while preserving full sovereignty over its data regulation and law enforcement.

The minister also noted that cross-border data transfers are a global norm, particularly in the digital governance ecosystem. G7 countries such as the U.S., Canada, Japan, Germany, France, Italy, and the U.K. have long adopted secure mechanisms for international data exchange.

“Going forward, cross-border data transfers are inevitable. Indonesia is taking its rightful place among global digital players, while keeping national legal protections at the center,” Meutya said.

“Technical discussions will continue, as also indicated in the White House’s section on Removing Barriers for Digital Trade,” she affirmed.