Yes, web scraping is legal in Indonesia if conducted within the boundaries of data protection and intellectual property laws. The practice is not explicitly prohibited, but compliance with the Personal Data Protection Law (PDP Law) and copyright regulations is mandatory. The Indonesian government, through the Ministry of Communication and Informatics (Kominfo), has signaled stricter enforcement of data privacy rules by 2026, requiring businesses to implement robust consent mechanisms and data minimization practices. Unauthorized scraping of personal or proprietary data may lead to penalties under Law No. 28 of 2014 on Copyright and Law No. 19 of 2016 on Electronic Information and Transactions (ITE Law).
Key Regulations for Web Scraping in Indonesia
- Personal Data Protection Law (PDP Law, Law No. 27 of 2022): Mandates explicit consent for scraping personal data, with non-compliance risking fines up to IDR 10 billion (≈USD 650,000) or imprisonment for up to 6 years. Controllers must ensure lawful bases for processing, including legitimate interest or contractual necessity.
- Copyright Law (Law No. 28 of 2014): Prohibits scraping copyrighted content without authorization, particularly for commercial use. Exceptions apply under “fair use” provisions, but automated extraction of large datasets often falls outside permissible limits.
- ITE Law (Law No. 19 of 2016): Criminalizes unauthorized access to electronic systems or data, with penalties including imprisonment (up to 10 years) and fines (up to IDR 10 billion). Scraping without bypassing technical protections (e.g., CAPTCHAs) may avoid liability, but terms-of-service violations could trigger administrative sanctions.
Businesses must conduct due diligence on target websites’ terms of service, as contractual restrictions may override statutory permissions. The Indonesian Data Protection Authority (DPA), established under the PDP Law, will begin active enforcement in 2026, increasing scrutiny on cross-border data transfers and automated data collection.