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TL;DR
Indonesia’s parliament is considering a copyright-law revision that could require digital platforms to compensate publishers for uses including news links and previews, and set rules for AI-generated and AI-assisted content. Google, Meta and TikTok have challenged parts of the proposal at a November 11 hearing; the current draft text and a voting timetable remain unclear.
Google, Meta and TikTok challenged parts of Indonesia’s proposed copyright-law revision at a November 11 hearing before parliament’s Legislation Body, as lawmakers consider rules that could require platforms to compensate publishers for displaying or distributing news and set conditions for AI training and content. The proposal is still under deliberation, and the latest text and any vote date have not been made public.
The bill would revise Law No. 28 of 2014, Indonesia’s copyright law. Parliament approved it as a legislative initiative on March 12, 2026, and its Legislation Body is discussing it with the government. The November hearing included the three technology companies, the Press Council and Satu Lisensi Indonesia, according to Kompas.
Reuters reported on an earlier draft in July that would require platforms to pay compensation for aggregating, republishing or showing previews of news, as well as for using news in AI training. The proposal would channel payments through state-supervised collective management organisations. That July version also included possible sanctions for noncompliance, including revocation of local business permits. The provisions may have changed since then.
The July text described by Reuters also proposed rules on whether AI-assisted work qualifies for copyright protection, disclosure of AI use, imitation of a creator’s distinctive style and use of copyrighted works to train AI models. It said training could be covered by fair-use provisions or licensing agreements. At the November hearing, Google said the version under discussion would require payment for news indexing, aggregation, curation and snippets, but the current bill text was not available for independent review.
What Platforms Could Face Under Indonesia’s AI Copyright Proposal
Parliament is considering rules that could change how platforms use news and copyrighted works in AI. The proposal remains under debate, and its current text and voting timetable are unclear.
What platforms could pay for
An earlier draft described by Reuters outlined payments for several uses of news.
Links and previews
The earlier draft covered aggregating, republishing or showing news previews.
Training material
It also proposed compensation for using news in AI training.
AI rules under discussion
The July draft described possible rules for creators, developers and rightsholders.
The draft addressed disclosure when AI is used to create content.
It considered whether AI-assisted work qualifies for copyright protection.
Training on copyrighted works could be covered by fair use or licensing.
Competing concerns
Platforms and publishers told lawmakers the proposal could affect news access, traffic and revenue.
- Google says link payments could limit indexing and distribution.
- Meta argues that sharing a link is not republishing a story.
- TikTok says disclosure rules should not cover AI that only assists a creator.
- The Press Council says platforms take a large share of digital advertising.
- It says referrals to news sites have declined.
- It says existing support for quality journalism has had low compliance.
What happens next
Parliament’s Legislation Body and the government are continuing deliberations.
Potential Costs for Platforms and Publishers
If adopted, the proposal could alter how search engines and social platforms handle Indonesian news, from showing a link preview to using material in AI systems. A payment requirement could create a new revenue stream for publishers, but its effect would depend on which platform activities count as covered use, how fees are calculated and how money is distributed. Those details are not settled in the material available.
The dispute also goes beyond news. Rules on training data, attribution and creator style could affect AI developers, artists, journalists and other rightsholders. A licensing requirement could give creators a route to compensation, while questions about scale, permissions and exceptions could affect what data developers can use. These are potential consequences of the draft, not confirmed outcomes of a law that has yet to pass.
The companies’ objections and the Press Council’s position reflect competing claims about the existing digital economy. Google and Meta argue that payment for links could disrupt access or traffic; the Press Council says platforms take a large share of digital advertising and that referrals to news sites have declined. Lawmakers will need to weigh those claims against the proposal’s practical details.
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A Revision Still Under Debate
The copyright proposal is not Indonesia’s first attempt to address how platforms support journalism. Presidential Regulation No. 32 of 2024 already requires digital platforms to support quality journalism. Press Council deputy chair Totok Suryanto told lawmakers that compliance has been low and the regulation has not worked as intended, according to Aktual.
The AI provisions drew attention earlier in the process. Reuters reported on a July draft, and law ministry intellectual-property official Hermansyah Siregar confirmed its authenticity while stressing that it was not final. Siregar said generative AI had disrupted the copyright framework and described the draft as Indonesia’s first explicit recognition of AI in its copyright law.
At the November hearing, Google argued that compulsory payment for links and snippets could limit its ability to index and distribute Indonesian news. The company also opposed a single collective licensing body and mandatory licenses for all AI training data, and called for intermediary safe-harbor protections. Meta said sharing a link is not the same as republishing a story and argued that payment obligations could reduce publisher traffic and revenue. TikTok said disclosure rules should not cover cases where AI only assists a creator and also sought safe-harbor protection, according to the source accounts.
“The development of generative AI has disrupted the copyright framework.”
— Hermansyah Siregar, law ministry intellectual-property official, as reported by Reuters
Key Draft Terms Remain Unsettled
The full version currently under discussion was not available for review, and reports refer to different draft versions. Article numbers cited by Google at the hearing should be treated as provisional. It is not clear which provisions from the July draft remain in the latest text, including the proposed scope of news payments, AI training rules or sanctions.
The available accounts also do not specify how a platform’s payment would be calculated, what counts as AI assistance, how much human contribution would qualify for copyright protection, or how creators could opt out of training use. The Press Council’s figures—that platforms take 80 percent of digital advertising and that platform referrals to news sites have fallen by up to 70 percent—were presented to lawmakers as its claims; the source material does not provide the underlying methodology or measurement period.
No vote date has been announced. The final shape of the bill, and whether it will impose the obligations described in earlier drafts, remain open.
Legislators Must Reconcile Competing Proposals
Parliament’s Legislation Body and the government are continuing deliberations on the bill. The next public milestones to watch are release of an updated draft, further hearings or negotiations over platform and publisher obligations, and any announcement of a vote. No timetable for a vote has been reported.
Until the text is available, the companies’ hearing statements and the provisions described in July should be read as positions and draft proposals, not as rules already in force. Any final assessment of what platforms could face will depend on the bill lawmakers ultimately approve and how its terms are implemented.
Key Questions
Has Indonesia passed the proposed copyright law?
No. Parliament is still deliberating the revision with the government. The available reporting identifies no announced vote date.
What could platforms be required to pay for?
An earlier draft described by Reuters would require compensation for aggregating, republishing or showing previews of news, and for using news in AI training. The full text under discussion has not been reviewed, so the final scope is uncertain.
What AI rules appeared in the earlier draft?
The July version described by Reuters addressed AI-use disclosure, protection for some AI-assisted work, imitation of a creator’s distinctive style and training on copyrighted material. Those provisions are proposals, and the current wording may differ.
Why do Google, Meta and TikTok object?
Google argues that link payments could restrict news indexing and distribution, opposes a single collective licensing body and says mandatory licenses for all AI training data are impractical. Meta disputes treating link sharing as republication, while TikTok says disclosure should not apply when AI only assists a creator. These are company positions.
What happens next?
Lawmakers and the government are continuing discussions. The updated draft, any further hearings and a possible vote date are the next developments to watch; none has been specified in the available reporting.
Source: ThorstenMeyerAI.com
