🔍 Read the full analysis: Why Meta, TikTok And Google Oppose Indonesia’s AI Copyright Bill on ThorstenMeyerAI.com
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TL;DR
Google, Meta and TikTok urged Indonesian lawmakers on Nov. 11 to revise parts of a proposed copyright-law overhaul covering news links, AI training and platform liability. The bill is still under deliberation, its current text was not available in the source reporting, and no vote date has been announced.
Google, Meta and TikTok urged Indonesian lawmakers on Nov. 11 to reconsider parts of a proposed copyright-law revision that would require payments for some uses of news content and set rules for AI training and AI-assisted works. The companies raised concerns at a hearing of parliament’s Legislation Body, as the bill remains under discussion and is not yet law.
The proposal would revise Indonesia’s Copyright Law, Law No. 28 of 2014. Parliament approved it as an initiative in a plenary session on March 12, 2026, and the Legislation Body is now deliberating it with the government. Reuters reported on an earlier draft in July; the source reporting says the text has since changed, and the full version discussed at the November hearing was not available.
At the hearing, Google objected to proposed payments tied to the aggregation, indexing or display of news, including link previews and snippets. It also opposed a single collective licensing arrangement and mandatory licensing for AI training data, and called for platforms to retain safe-harbor protections. Google’s representative argued that rules covering links could lead the company to stop crawling, indexing and distributing Indonesian news, Reuters reported.
Meta said sharing a link is not republication and argued that payment obligations could reduce traffic and revenue for publishers. TikTok said AI disclosure rules should not cover content where AI is used only as an assistive tool, and also called for safe-harbor protection. The Press Council and Satu Lisensi Indonesia also attended the hearing, according to Kompas.
Why platforms oppose Indonesia’s AI copyright bill
Google, Meta and TikTok urged lawmakers to revise proposed rules for news links, AI and platform liability. The bill remains under deliberation and is not yet law.
What platforms challenge
Their objections cover news compensation, AI rules and legal protections for digital services.
News links and AI licenses
Opposes payments for news links and previews, mandatory AI training licenses and a single collective licensing arrangement.
Link sharing
Says sharing a link is not republication and warns payment obligations could reduce publisher traffic and revenue.
AI assistance
Says disclosure rules should not cover content where AI is used only as an assistive tool.
Potential effects
The proposal could reshape business terms for publishers, AI developers and creators.
- Payments could create a new route to compensation.
- Changes to links and previews could affect referral traffic; the outcome is disputed.
- Training on copyrighted works may involve licensing or legal exceptions.
- Disclosure and style-imitation rules could affect creators and AI-assisted works.
What remains unresolved
The version discussed at the hearing was not available in the source reporting.
The July draft may differ from the version now under discussion.
Definitions, human contribution and training rules remain unclear.
Lawmakers continue deliberations with the government; no vote date has been announced.
Rules Could Reshape News and AI
The bill puts two connected questions before lawmakers: how digital platforms should compensate publishers when news appears through their services, and how copyright should apply when protected works are used to train or produce AI content. The outcome could affect the reach and business models of Indonesian news outlets, the licensing costs facing AI developers, and the rights and income of creators.
For publishers, a payment framework could create a new route to compensation. But the platforms argue that fees on links and previews could change how they surface news, with possible consequences for referral traffic. Those effects remain disputed: Meta’s traffic and revenue warning is the company’s position, not a settled assessment of what the bill would do.
AI developers face a separate uncertainty over whether training on copyrighted material would require permission, fall under a legal exception, or depend on licensing agreements. Creators could also be affected by proposed disclosure and style-imitation rules. Because the text is still being revised, the scope and enforcement of any final requirements are not established.
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From 2014 Law to AI Revision
The proposed revision updates a law enacted in 2014 to address developments in digital publishing and generative AI. Reuters reported in July that an earlier draft would define AI-assisted works, require disclosure of AI use in some content, restrict imitation of a creator’s distinctive style and make AI training subject to fair-use provisions or licensing. Those details describe the July draft, not necessarily the version now before lawmakers.
The July version reportedly distinguished between work with sufficient human involvement and fully AI-generated work, which it would exclude from copyright protection. It did not specify how much human contribution would qualify. That draft also proposed compensation for platforms’ aggregation, republication and link previews of news, with payments routed through state-supervised collective management organisations. Reuters reported possible sanctions for noncompliance, including revocation of local business permits.
Indonesia already has Presidential Regulation No. 32 of 2024, which requires digital platforms to support quality journalism. At the November hearing, Press Council deputy chair Totok Suryanto said the regulation had not worked as intended and platform compliance was low, according to Aktual. The council also told lawmakers that platforms account for 80 percent of digital advertising and that traffic from platforms to news sites had fallen by up to 70 percent, according to the supplied reporting; the measurement period and comparison basis were not specified.
“A levy on links would leave Google “no choice” but to stop crawling, indexing and distributing Indonesian news.”
— Google representative Agung Pamungkas, as reported by Reuters
Draft Text and Effects Remain Unsettled
The current draft was not available in the source reporting, and accounts cited different versions. The July provisions cannot be assumed to appear unchanged in the text discussed on Nov. 11. Even references at the hearing to specific article numbers should be treated cautiously until an authoritative, current draft is published.
It is also unclear how lawmakers would define AI assistance, how much human contribution would be needed for copyright protection, what uses of copyrighted works would qualify as fair use, or how an opt-out or licensing system would operate. The source material does not establish whether the platforms’ predicted effects on news access, publisher traffic or investment would occur. No vote date or final enforcement design has been announced.
Lawmakers Continue Bill Deliberations
The Legislation Body is deliberating the proposal with the government after its Nov. 11 hearing. The next confirmed step is continued consideration of the bill; the source reporting gives no announced date for a vote. The text may still change before lawmakers decide whether to advance it.
Readers should watch for publication of the current draft and further statements from lawmakers, the government, platforms and publisher representatives. Those details will clarify whether the final proposal retains payments for news links, how it treats AI training and disclosure, and what protections or sanctions would apply to digital services.
Key Questions
Has Indonesia passed the AI copyright bill?
No. It remains under deliberation by parliament’s Legislation Body with the government. The source reporting says no vote date has been announced.
What are the companies objecting to?
Google, Meta and TikTok challenged proposed obligations involving news links and previews, AI rules and platform liability. Google also opposed a single collective licensing body and mandatory licenses for AI training data; Meta disputed treating link sharing as republication; TikTok said disclosure rules should not cover AI used only as assistance.
What would the bill require for AI training?
An earlier draft reported by Reuters would make the use of copyrighted works for AI training subject to fair-use provisions or licensing agreements. The current text was not available in the supplied reporting, so its final requirements remain unclear.
Why are news publishers involved?
The proposal could require platforms to compensate publishers for certain uses of news, including aggregation and link previews. The Press Council has argued that platforms’ role in advertising and declining referral traffic warrant action, while platforms warn that payment rules could affect how they distribute news.
Source: ThorstenMeyerAI.com
