Rising Cybercrime during the COVID-19 Pandemic: Examining Legal Gaps in Indonesia’s Regulatory Framework

Abstract

This article examines the rise of cybercrime during the COVID-19 pandemic and evaluates whether Indonesia’s regulatory framework was effective in responding to pandemic-era cyber threats. Using a normative juridical approach, the study analyzes Law Number 11 of 2008 concerning Electronic Information and Transactions as amended by Law Number 19 of 2016, Government Regulation Number 71 of 2019, relevant scholarly literature, and selected cybercrime cases involving online fraud and alleged data breaches. The findings show that Indonesia’s framework provided an important legal basis for recognizing electronic evidence, criminalizing unlawful cyber conduct, and regulating electronic system providers. However, the analysis also reveals significant gaps, including fragmented personal data protection, reactive enforcement, limited breach notification mechanisms, unclear platform accountability, and insufficient victim recovery. The article discusses these gaps through statutory and conceptual analysis. It concludes that Indonesia’s cybercrime regulation must shift toward a more integrated, preventive, and victim-oriented model to strengthen legal certainty, cybersecurity governance, and public trust in digital transformation.