Jakarta – National Police chief Gen. Tito Karnavian confirmed the fledgling National Cyber Agency, under the watch of the Chief Security Ministry, will not overlap with police authority.

"The cyber agency will be combined with the State Cryptography Agency, named the Cyber and State Cryptography Agency, which will address cyber world issues, as we are one of the highest targeted countries for [cyber] crimes," Tito said in Jakarta on Wednesday (04/01).

Indonesian internet users have reached 50 percent of the population, or roughly 120 million people, Tito said.

"There should be supervision and other regulations. The cyber agency is expected to regulate that. The National Police will only handle the law enforcement side. The cyber agency formulates the regulations and other issues," he added.

He tipped stronger enforcement against hoaxes, as regulated by the Information and Electronic Transaction (ITE) Law, with those who post or share hoax news facing criminal charges.

"I urge [the public] not to upload inaccurate news, as it can be reported if it is proven to be lies and generate negative effects on others. This can be a heavy crime, so please be careful," Tito continued.

Hoaxes generated by bots, programs which automate the spreading of spam, will also be targeted, with those behind the programs to face charges.

Previously, Chief Security Minister Wiranto pushed for the establishment of the National Cyber Agency in order to prevent cyber attacks against the country.

"Cybercrime is related to security and defense in e-commerce. We will soon have e-voting. If the e-voting system is hacked, the data would be destroyed, so we have to safeguard it," Wiranto said in Jakarta in October.

He added that a study to determine necessary measures for establishing the cyber agency has been carried out and the ministry has held meetings to discuss the terms of setting up the agency.

Source: http://jakartaglobe.id/news/tito-assures-cyber-agency-will-not-overlap-natl-police/