Personal Data Plunder and Law Enforcement Challenges in Protecting Privacy Rights in Indonesia

This study aims to analyze law enforcement efforts against cybercrime involving the unauthorized dissemination of personal data in illegal online lending cases and to identify the obstacles faced by the Makassar Metropolitan City Police (Polrestabes Makassar) in handling such cases. This research employs an empirical legal research method with a qualitative descriptive approach. The study was conducted within the jurisdiction of Polrestabes Makassar and involved three respondents from the police force. Data were collected through in-depth interviews as primary data and police documents and legal literature as secondary data, which were subsequently analyzed using qualitative descriptive analysis. The findings indicate that law enforcement is carried out through investigation and preliminary investigation procedures, similar to those applied in handling other criminal offenses. However, addressing the unauthorized dissemination of personal data in illegal online lending cases requires inter-agency coordination, particularly with the Financial Services Authority (OJK), banking institutions, and telecommunications service providers, to support evidence collection and criminal investigation. The main obstacles include victims' delays in reporting offenses to law enforcement authorities and the public's limited awareness of the importance of personal data protection. This study recommends strengthening coordination among the police, electronic system operators, telecommunications providers, and relevant institutions to facilitate access to electronic evidence and identify perpetrators who operate using anonymous identities.