Disinformation and Cyber Propaganda in Indonesian Elections: The Urgency of Updating Election Law Regulations

The growing prevalence of disinformation and cyber propaganda in Indonesia's electoral processes presents a significant threat to the integrity of democratic elections in the digital age. Disinformation blurs the lines between freedom of expression and political manipulation, challenging the effectiveness of existing legal frameworks. This study examines the effectiveness of Indonesia's electoral laws—specifically the Election Law, the Electronic Information and Transactions Law (ITE Law), and technical regulations issued by the KPU and Bawaslu—in addressing digital disinformation during the 2019 and 2024 general elections. Using a normative legal, comparative, and case study approach, the findings reveal that the current legal framework is sectoral, reactive, and inadequate to address technological developments in disinformation. Institutional fragmentation and the absence of enforceable legal responsibilities for digital platforms exacerbate the challenges of electoral oversight. The study calls for comprehensive legal reforms to establish a cyber election monitoring body, enforce platform transparency, and strengthen legal norms against coordinated disinformation. These reforms are crucial to ensuring that elections remain democratic, transparent, and uphold the dignity of the electoral process.