TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The announcement of a reciprocal trade agreement between the United States and Indonesia has stirred unease among members of the Committee on the Responsibility of Digital Platform Companies to Support Quality Journalism (KTP2JB). The deal is considered as potentially undermining a policy long championed by the press industry: the publisher rights scheme.
KTP2JB Chair Suprapto Sastro Atmojo said he was startled when he read the "digital trade and technology" section of the agreement. "We only just learned that publisher rights were included in the trade deal," Suprapto told Tempo on Tuesday, February 24, 2026, at the Press Council office in Central Jakarta. "We were never involved or informed that this issue was part of the negotiations."
The clause in question is Article 3 in the digital trade and technology chapter, which contains three derivative provisions. The first concerns digital services taxes, stating that Indonesia will not impose digital services taxes or similar measures that discriminate against American companies, either in law or in practice.
The second provision underscores Indonesia's commitment to facilitating digital trade with the United States, including refraining from policies that discriminate against US digital services or products, ensuring trusted cross-border data transfers with adequate safeguards for business activity, and collaborating to address cybersecurity challenges.
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