🔍 Read the full analysis: The Dispute Over Indonesia’s AI Copyright Bill, Explained on ThorstenMeyerAI.com
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TL;DR
Google, Meta and TikTok raised objections to Indonesia’s draft copyright-law revision at a parliamentary hearing on Nov. 11, focusing on payments for news links and rules for AI training and disclosure. The proposal is still under deliberation; the version discussed at the hearing was not available, and no vote date has been announced.
Google, Meta and TikTok challenged parts of Indonesia’s proposed copyright-law revision at a parliamentary hearing in Jakarta on Nov. 11, including provisions that could require platforms to pay for displaying news links and set conditions for using copyrighted works to train AI. The bill is still being deliberated by lawmakers and the government, and is not law.
The bill would revise Law No. 28 of 2014, Indonesia’s copyright law. It was approved as a parliamentary initiative on March 12, 2026, and is being considered by parliament’s Legislation Body, known as Baleg, together with the government. Kompas reported that the Nov. 11 hearing included Google, Meta, TikTok, the Press Council and Satu Lisensi Indonesia.
The companies objected to different parts of the proposal. Google argued against payment duties tied to links and snippets, a single collective licensing body and mandatory licenses for AI training data. It also sought to retain safe-harbor protections for intermediaries. Meta said sharing a link is not the same as republishing content and argued that payment requirements could reduce traffic and revenue for publishers. TikTok said AI disclosure should not apply when AI is used only as an assistive tool, and also called for safe-harbor protection to remain.
The current draft text was not available for review, and reporting describes different versions. The details of the bill therefore remain subject to change. In particular, article numbers cited at the hearing should be treated cautiously until the text under deliberation is publicly confirmed.
The Dispute Over Indonesia’s AI Copyright Bill What’s at stake
Google, Meta and TikTok challenged parts of a proposed copyright-law revision at a parliamentary hearing on Nov. 11. The bill remains under deliberation, and its current text has not been confirmed.
What companies challenged
Their objections could affect platform costs, publisher income and AI services in Indonesia.
Links and AI training
Opposed payment duties for links and snippets, mandatory AI training licenses and a single collective licensing body.
Sharing is not republishing
Argued that link sharing differs from republishing and payment rules could reduce publisher traffic and revenue.
AI disclosure limits
Said disclosure should not apply when AI is only an assistive tool.
Why publishers are watching
The Press Council told lawmakers that platforms take a large share of digital advertising and news-site traffic from platforms has fallen.
What earlier drafts described
Reuters reported on a July draft; these provisions are not confirmed terms of the version now under discussion.
Protection would depend on human involvement; fully AI-generated works would be excluded.
The draft described fair use or licensing for training on copyrighted works.
Compensation could cover news aggregation, republication, link previews and AI training.
What remains unresolved
Readers and businesses need the confirmed bill text to understand the rules that may apply.
- Parliament and the government are still deliberating.
- No vote date has been announced.
- Which July draft provisions remain.
- How licensing, disclosure and intermediary protections will work.
Effects on News and AI Training
The proposal could shape how news publishers are compensated when platforms display or distribute their work, while also setting rules for AI companies using copyrighted material. Those decisions affect publishers, creators, platforms and AI developers operating in Indonesia, including companies building services for Indonesian-language users.
Press representatives told lawmakers that the current balance already favors platforms. Dewan Pers deputy chair Totok Suryanto said the existing framework had not worked as intended and that platform compliance was low, according to Aktual. The council also told lawmakers that platforms take 80 percent of digital advertising and that traffic from platforms to news sites has fallen by up to 70 percent. These are figures presented by the Press Council; the material provided does not establish an independent assessment of them.
For the companies, the potential consequences include new licensing costs and compliance duties. Google warned that restricting the use of local material for training could affect AI performance in Indonesian. Whether the final law will adopt a licensing model, an exception for data mining, or some combination remains unsettled. The outcome could also offer a reference point for other countries debating how copyright rules should apply to generative AI.
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From 2014 Law to AI Rules
The bill would update a law enacted in 2014 to address both platform distribution of news and the use of creative works in AI systems. Reuters reported on AI provisions in a July draft, citing the text and a law ministry official who said the draft was authentic but not final. That account described possible rules on AI-assisted work, imitation of a creator’s distinctive style, disclosure of AI use, and training on copyrighted works through fair use or licensing.
According to Reuters’ account of that earlier draft, works made with AI would receive protection only if they met human-involvement criteria, while fully AI-generated works would be excluded. The draft did not specify how much human contribution would qualify. It also proposed compensation for platforms’ use of news in aggregation, republication, link previews and AI training, with payments routed through state-supervised collective management organisations. The proposal reportedly included sanctions for noncompliance, potentially including revocation of local business permits. These details describe the July version, not a verified final or current text.
Indonesia already has Presidential Regulation No. 32 of 2024, which requires digital platforms to support quality journalism. The Press Council has said implementation has been weak. The current bill would extend the debate from support for journalism to questions about copyright licensing, platform liability and AI use.
“A levy on links would leave Google “no choice” but to stop crawling, indexing and distributing Indonesian news.”
— A Google representative at the Nov. 11 hearing, as reported by Reuters
Draft Text and Vote Still Unsettled
Several central details remain unresolved. The full text under discussion on Nov. 11 was not available, and reports refer to different draft versions. It is not clear which provisions from the July draft remain, how lawmakers would define meaningful human involvement in AI-assisted work, or how any fair-use or licensing rule would operate.
The companies’ objections and the Press Council’s figures are attributed positions presented in reporting, not final determinations of the bill’s effects. No vote date was announced in the source material, and there is no confirmed timetable for the next stage. The proposal could change as parliament and the government continue deliberations.
Parliament Continues Deliberations
Baleg and the government are expected to continue considering the bill, with further review needed before any parliamentary decision. The next useful milestone for readers will be publication or confirmation of the version now under discussion, followed by any announced timetable for debate or a vote.
Until then, the July draft provides background but should not be treated as the bill’s final terms. Any eventual rules will depend on the text approved by lawmakers and the government, including whether changes are made to platform payments, AI training licenses, disclosure duties and intermediary protections.
Key Questions
Has Indonesia passed the AI copyright bill?
No. The bill is still under deliberation by parliament’s Legislation Body and the government. No vote date was reported.
What did Google, Meta and TikTok oppose?
They raised objections to parts of the proposal involving payments for news links or displays, AI training and intermediary protections. Their specific concerns differed; the full version discussed at the hearing was not available.
Would the bill require payment for news links?
An earlier draft reported by Reuters proposed compensation for activities including aggregation and link previews. Google said provisions discussed at the hearing could require payment for indexing and displaying news snippets. The current text has not been independently confirmed, so the final scope is unclear.
What AI rules appeared in the earlier draft?
Reuters reported that a July draft addressed AI-assisted works, disclosure, imitation of creators’ distinctive styles and the use of copyrighted works for training through fair use or licensing. Those provisions may have changed since that draft.
When will lawmakers vote?
No vote date was announced in the available reporting. The proposal remains under review, and the next steps depend on parliament’s and the government’s deliberations.
Source: ThorstenMeyerAI.com
