DEMOCRATIC backsliding continues unabated in Indonesia, marked most acutely by rapidly shrinking space for free speech. Time and again, legitimate criticism intended to hold power accountable has been met with aggressive retaliation designed to silence the messenger.
Earlier this month, a lecturer at Gadjah Mada University, which ranks second nationwide, posted a critique on X regarding the mass reassignment and demotion of Public Works Ministry officials, including the secretary-general. The internal reshuffle followed a leaked document detailing a planned work trip to New York by Minister Dody Hanggodo that included his wife and daughter on the delegation and coincided with the FIFA World Cup. The lecturer’s post gained widespread traction, with netizens amplifying concerns over both the reshuffle and the inclusion of the minister’s family on an official trip.
Though the trip was ultimately cancelled, a nightmare followed for the lecturer: She received a text message from an unknown number threatening to expose her and her family’s personal information unless she deleted the post. Refusing to be intimidated, she made the threat public on social media and signalled her intent to report the incident.
This is hardly an isolated incident. Earlier this year, members of the Kasbi labour union reported online intimidation and doxxing following a digital campaign inviting the public to join their May Day rally.
While online vigilantism has existed since the Internet’s early days, the recent incidents targeting government critics suggest that online surveillance by pro-government elements is growing far more palpable, and that doxxing is becoming normalised.
Data from the South-East Asia Freedom of Expression Network paint a stark picture, with more than 900 online attacks recorded against critics of government officials and policies last year alone – a threefold increase from the previous year.
In one case, an Indonesia Corruption Watch activist was doxed after commenting on a nomination of Joko “Jokowi” Widodo for a tongue-in-cheek “corrupt figure of the year” award. As in many other instances, the activist was bombarded afterward with anonymous calls and messages.
In May 2025, a stand-up comedian was targeted after joking about West Java Governor Dedi Mulyadi during a Bandung show. The clip went viral, and several social media accounts doxed the comedian, even revealing the addresses of his relatives’ homes.
There is a legal framework for prosecuting doxxing. Several victims have filed police reports, but the outcomes of such investigations are rarely seen, leaving a chilling sense of impunity.
Doxxing inflicts severe harm when it is weaponised politically, through the public disclosure of personal data with malicious intent. And its impact extends far beyond an individual’s privacy, instilling a climate of fear that deters the public from voicing critical views.
Authoritarian creep reaches a perilous high when online harassment and surveillance become normalised tools for silencing dissent.
Doxxing is a direct assault on free expression. And when critics are silenced, democracy suffers. — The Jakarta Post/Asia News Network
