JPW (Jurnal Politik Walisong.
Ae Vol 7.
No 2 .
, 129-140 ISSN: 2503-3190 .
2503-3204 .
DOI: 10.
21580/jpw.
SAFEnet and Civil Society Dynamics in Expanding Digital Public Space in Indonesia Ibnu Asqori Pohan1*.
Ezra Maharani Batavia Lumban Gaol1.
Felicia Jesse Amanda1 1 Universitas Brawijaya.
Indonesia Abstract The advancement of digital technology has reshaped civil society advocacy, particularly in the protection of digital rights in Indonesia.
This study examines the evolving role of SAFEnet (Southeast Asia Freedom of Expression Networ.
, a pivotal organization dedicated to defending online freedom of expression.
This analysis, conducted using a qualitative case study, examines SAFEnetAos strategies, structural barriers, and advocacy outcomes through a literature review and thematic analysis.
Findings indicate that SAFEnet has evolved beyond its role as a policy watchdog to become a facilitator of digital discourse, a provider of legal aid, and a coalition builder, promoting freedom of expression, data protection, and digital justice.
Its advocacy integrates social media campaigns, digital literacy programs, policy engagement, and technological innovation to strengthen civic participation.
Operating amid restrictive laws marked by censorship and criminalization of dissent.
SAFEnet exhibits resilience and creativity in expanding digital public spaces and enhancing democratic interaction.
This study enriches the understanding of digital civil society by illustrating a localized advocacy model and reaffirming the relevance of network society and public sphere theories within IndonesiaAos dynamic digital democracy.
Keywords: digital advocacy, freedom of expression, data protection, civil society, digital public sphere Submitted for possible open access publication under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons AttributionNonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.
0 International License.
Corresponding author email: inbuasqoripohan@ub.
Copyright A 2025 JPW (Jurnal Politik Walisong.
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Introduction The development of information and communication technology over the past two decades has brought about fundamental changes in the way people interact, participate in, and advocate for public issues.
The digital space is not only a medium for information exchange but also a field of contestation between state and non-state actors in shaping public opinion and influencing policies.
In this context, the issue of digital freedom has become increasingly relevant amid growing state regulation and intervention in online expression (Wechsler, 2.
Regimes in Southeast Asia, including Indonesia, have been observed to use AuauthoritarianAy technology such as digital surveillance, censorship, and online information manipulation to restrict the digital civic space.
This underscores the intricate relationship between digital infrastructure, state policy, and public participation, which is further complicated by global internet governance challenges (Haristya, 2.
One of the main actors in digital freedom advocacy in Indonesia is SAFEnet (Southeast Asia Freedom of Expression Networ.
, which focuses on protecting online privacy, freedom of expression, and access to information.
The Freedom House .
report noted that IndonesiaAos internet freedom index has declined significantly, underscoring the urgency of a proactive civil society presence amid democratic recession and eroding public support for democratic values in the region (Lorch and Mauk, 2.
The transformation of the role of civil society in the digital era reflects a shift from conventional forms of activism to a technologyand network-based advocacy model.
SAFEnet represents a new digital civil society actor that 130 iC actively leverages social media, online platforms, and technology infrastructure to voice public interest, organize campaigns, and build cross-sector collaboration.
However, the organization also faces significant obstacles, such as disinformation, cyberbullying, state censorship, and the criminalization of digital This phenomenon aligns with Tufekci .
Observation that while social media offers significant potential for digital mobilization, its effectiveness is often curtailed by platform algorithms and structural biases that sideline counter-narratives.
Similarly, this pattern corresponds with the findings of Sukidin et al.
, who note that social media activity can stimulate public participation in democratic discourse but is also prone to The complexity of these dynamics indicates a need for an in-depth analysis of how SAFEnet adapts its strategies to remain effective as an advocate for digital freedom.
Scholarly discourse on the relationship between digital technology and civil society has developed rapidly, but most studies still focus on general theoretical frameworks or global contexts.
Meanwhile, strengthening digital literacy is crucial to ensure that citizen participation in digital advocacy becomes more effective and sustainable (Kashaka, 2.
Empirical studies that specifically examine digital advocacy practices in Indonesia, particularly those conducted by organizations such as SAFEnet, are still limited.
Therefore, this article aims to fill this gap by posing the research question: How has SAFEnetAos role as a civil society actor evolved in the digital era to advocate for digital freedom in Indonesia, particularly in addressing the challenges of utilizing social media as an advocacy tool? This JPW (Jurnal Politik Walisong.
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question is designed to explore not only the forms of strategic adaptation but also the structural, political, and cultural dimensions underlying those transformations.
This study aims to contribute on three levels: .
academically, by expanding understanding of civil society dynamics in the digital era and enriching the literature on digital advocacy strategies in Indonesia.
practically, by offering strategic insights for civil society organizations to develop advocacy models that are responsive to digital challenges.
at the policy level, by providing constructive input for policymakers to balance digital security needs with the protection of citizensAo civil rights.
Conceptually, this article combines two primary theoretical frameworks: Manuel Castells' Network Society Theory and Jyrgen Habermas' Theory of the Public Sphere.
CastellsAo theory provides an analytical framework for how social structures and power are reconfigured through digital communication In contrast.
HabermasAo theory highlights the importance of public space as a discursive arena for critical and rational citizen However, these theoretical perspectives have faced criticism.
HabermasAos theory of the public sphere, for example, has been widely criticized for being Eurocentric and idealizing a rational-liberal form of discourse.
practice, these assumptions do not always hold in Global South contexts, such as Indonesia, where public expression often unfolds through symbols, humor, or emotional activism.
Similarly.
CastellsAo network society theory must be contextualized, considering the political realities of digital authoritarianism shaping civil society in Southeast Asia.
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Milan and Trery .
propose that civil society studies in the algorithmic era also consider resistance to algorithmic injustice as a new form of structural repression.
For instance.
Eubanks .
illustrates how ostensibly neutral algorithms in governance can entrench social inequalities, highlighting the need to examine power asymmetries in digital Scholars such as Trery and Milan have observed that digital activism in the Global South often harnesses vernacular expression and grassroots innovation, further challenging the universality of Western public sphere Recognizing these limitations, this article utilizes both theories dialectically: not only as an analytical knife, but also as a lens through which to critique the new dynamics of power relations and the production of meaning in a non-neutral digital space.
By integrating these two theories, this article analyses SAFEnet's strategic position in reshaping power relations in the digital space and its contribution to building rights-based public opinion.
Methodology To address the formulation of this problem, this study employs a qualitative approach with a case study design, which enables an in-depth exploration of digital advocacy practices by SAFEnet.
This approach is deemed appropriate for capturing complex, context-dependent phenomena in digital civil society (Yin, 2.
, enabling the exploration of the meanings, strategies, and socio-political context underlying SAFEnetAos advocacy (Kashaka, 2.
SAFEnet serves as a critical case for examining the interaction between power, technology, and civil society in the Indonesian context.
iC 131 Pohan et al.
The data in this study were obtained through a comprehensive literature review that included the analysis of academic journal articles, books, organizational reports, and legal documents relevant to the issues of digital freedom and the role of civil society.
Literature sources were selected based on their relevance to SAFEnetAos advocacy and credibility, prioritizing peerreviewed studies and key policy documents.
The analyzed documents spanned roughly from 2013 .
hen SAFEnet was founde.
to 2023, covering SAFEnetAos emergence and evolution over the past decade.
This technique enabled the tracing of digital footprints, policy developments, and public discourse, which have been widely documented.
In addition, limited access to primary informants due to the sensitivity of the issue and potential risks to the digital security of activists makes this approach both ethical and methodologically accountable.
However, relying on secondary data imposes certain limitations, as the analysis is constrained to publicly documented information and cannot fully capture SAFEnetAos internal dynamics in real time.
Organizational literature and documents are also considered social artifacts that reflect forms of symbolic resistance and articulation of collective interests in the digital Thus, the literature review served as the main source for understanding the structural, discursive, and political dynamics of SAFEnetAos digital advocacy.
The data analysis process was conducted using thematic analysis, following the approach outlined by Braun and Clarke .
The stages of analysis in this study included four interrelated steps forming a systematic First, data reduction was performed by filtering and selecting information relevant to 132 iC the study's focus .
he transformation of SAFEnetAos role in advocating digital freedo.
and eliminating unrelated material.
Second, the reduced data were analyzed through open coding to identify initial units of meaning, followed by axial coding, which grouped the codes into key categories, such as Advocacy Strategies.
Advocacy Challenges, and Advocacy Impact.
Third, the researcher identified themes and patterns by extracting central themes from these categories.
Some important themes that emerged included Technological Adaptation as an Advocacy Strategy.
State Repression in the Digital Space, and The Power of Network Solidarity.
Fourth, data interpretation was conducted by relating the empirical findings to the theoretical frameworks of Network Society and the Public Sphere (Kashaka, 2.
Through this process, the research conceptually explains SAFEnetAos role in reshaping power structures, expanding digital public spaces, and fighting for digital rights in Indonesia (Yin.
This stepwise, thematic approach ensured a rigorous analysis by systematically connecting the empirical data with the studyAos theoretical lenses.
Result and discussion After analyzing the collected literature, several key dimensions of SAFEnetAos advocacy role were identified.
These include SAFEnetAos efforts in policy advocacy for digital freedom, the regulatory challenges in IndonesiaAos internet governance landscape, the strategic use of social media for digital mobilization, and the impact of new legislation on digital rights.
For example.
SAFEnet has actively campaigned for more open highlighted challenges posed by restrictive JPW (Jurnal Politik Walisong.
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regulations (Aziz et al.
, 2.
, leveraged social media platforms for digital campaigns (SAFEnet, 2.
, and monitored how the Personal Data Protection Law affects digital freedoms (Aziz et , 2022.
Jun-E, 2.
In the context of global internet governance, the role of civil society is also influenced by coordination challenges at the multistakeholder level (Haristya, 2.
Furthermore, recent literature highlights emerging obstacles, such as algorithmic injustice, that can limit the reach of digital activism (Milan.
Trery, 2.
Figure 1.
Three Main Categories of Advocacy.
Source: Formulated by Researchers Figure 1 illustrates the three overarching categories of SAFEnetAos advocacy identified through the coding process: .
Advocacy Strategy, including digital campaigns, crossinstitution collaboration, and the use of social .
Advocacy Challenges, such as digital censorship, political pressure, and resource and .
Advocacy Impact, including greater public awareness, government response, and changes in digital policy.
One central theme that emerged is the evolution of SAFEnetAos advocacy strategy in responding to challenges to digital freedom.
SAFEnet has JPW (Jurnal Politik Walisong.
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strengthening coalition networks, optimizing its use of digital technologies, and improving public digital literacy to respond to policy constraints on online rights (Kashaka, 2.
This finding aligns with Tufekci's .
argument that the effectiveness of digital mobilization depends on an organizationAos ability to navigate algorithmic dynamics and the limitations of platform The analysis further reveals that SAFEnet has evolved from merely a policy monitor to a significant player in digital freedom advocacy in Indonesia.
Its social mediaAebased strategies and research initiatives have increased pressure on the government to be more transparent.
However, the enactment of new regulations, such as the Personal Data Protection Law (Law No.
27/2.
, has created ambiguity: on the one hand, it protects personal data, but on the other, it opens opportunities for state control over the digital space.
SAFEnet plays an implementation of such regulations to ensure the protection of citizensAo digital rights.
This governments in Southeast Asia now employ authoritarian technological tools to manage, monitor, and suppress civil liberties online.
This environment has a significant impact on SAFEnetAos operating landscape.
This trend also highlights the connection between civil society dynamics and the process of democratic regression in Indonesia (Lorch & Mauk, 2.
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Figure 1.
Digital Freedom Advocacy in Indonesia.
Source: Formulated by Researchers Figure 2 depicts the expanding role of civil society in the digital era, as technology becomes a primary tool for advocacy and public Digital activism has enabled new forms of participation, including online petitions, social media campaigns, and datadriven advocacy (Li et al.
, 2.
Research by Sukidin et al.
Confirms that social media activity plays a crucial role in facilitating public participation and fostering democratic attitudes.
SAFEnet reflects this transition by integrating technological approaches into its advocacy work, expanding the scope of involvement from what was once limited to physical actions to become more digital and decentralized.
Consistent with these trends.
Ristovska, .
Finds that political visuals in online campaigns serve as a form of resistance to digital repression, a tactic that SAFEnet has embraced through creative design and symbolic narratives on social media.
SAFEnetAos use of visuals is #StopKekerasanDigital (AuStop Digital ViolenceA.
, which combine striking graphics with catchy slogans to rally public sentiment against online By leveraging memes, infographics, and hashtag activism.
SAFEnetAos symbolic tactics directly challenge dominant official narratives and engage citizens emotionally in the fight for digital rights.
134 iC Since its inception in 2013.
SAFEnet has evolved into a leading advocate for digital Its activities include documenting violations of digital rights, providing public education on digital literacy, offering legal assistance to victims of online repression, and engaging in policy advocacy.
Partnerships with international human rights organizations .
uch as Amnesty Internationa.
have strengthened SAFEnetAos advocacy capacity at national and global levels.
SAFEnet also participates in regional and global civil society coalitions, playing a role in shaping cross-border digital discourse and policy.
In the context of Southeast AsiaAos increasingly constrained digital civic space.
SAFEnetAos regional advocacy responds to the trend of rising digital repression identified by recent studies (Internet Policy Review.
Comparative observations suggest that the influence of civil society organizations, such as SAFEnet, mirrors patterns of NGO influence observed in other domains of Indonesian policy, including climate change advocacy (Vinata R.
SAFEnetAos digital advocacy strategy encompasses a wide range of tactics.
It conducts .
#StopKekerasanDigita.
, produces educational content on platforms such as Twitter and Instagram, hosts webinars and Digital Rights training camps, and provides digital security training for activists and the public.
SAFEnet also employs an evidence-based approach, publishing data-driven reports, issuing thematic policy briefs, and directly engaging in policymaking processes.
Strategic collaboration and active participation in public discussions have made SAFEnet an important reference point on digital freedom issues in Indonesia.
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Tufekci .
Emphasizes the importance of data-centric and literacy-oriented approaches as a response to the limitations of platformdependent mobilization.
Figure 3.
Digital Freedom Advocacy Challenges.
Source: Formulated by Researcher Figure 3 illustrates the primary challenges to advocating for digital freedom in Indonesia, including the abuse of the Electronic Information and Transaction (ITE) Law, state criminalization of digital activists, and limited funding and human resources.
Additionally, the involvement of political AubuzzersAy .
aid online propagandist.
and non-neutral social media algorithms presents obstacles to disseminating advocacy messages.
SAFEnet also faces digital access and literacy gaps in more remote areas.
Milan and Milan and Trery .
Emphasize that, beyond direct state repression, automated governanceAialgorithmic institutionalize bias in information flowsAinow poses a significant challenge to digital activism.
This insight resonates with Mogende and Ramutsindela .
Observations on how state power responds to and curbs collective On the other hand.
SAFEnetAos advocacy has achieved tangible impacts on policy and public Table 1 outlines the key implications JPW (Jurnal Politik Walisong.
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of SAFEnetAos advocacy.
For example.
SAFEnet actively contributed to the formulation of IndonesiaAos Personal Data Protection Law by providing human-rights-based policy input.
also pursued legal action against the governmentAos 2019 internet shutdown in Papua Ae a policy later ruled unlawful by the Supreme Court.
Additionally.
SAFEnet has been at the forefront of public campaigns pressuring the government to revise the ITE Law, which is widely criticized for threatening freedom of These efforts have encouraged the government to be more open to dialogue with civil society, especially on cybersecurity and personal data protection issues.
In terms of public awareness.
SAFEnetAos campaigns and training programs .
uch as its Digital Rights workshops and webinar.
have helped improve peopleAos digital literacy and spur greater public participation in digital rights movements.
However, challenges persist in reaching communities with limited Internet access and infrastructure, highlighting an ongoing gap in advocacy outreach Table 1.
The Impact of SAFEnet Advocacy Impact Categories The Impact of SAFEnet Advocacy Explanation Policy Changes Contribution Personal Data Protection Law (Law No.
27/2.
SAFEnet provides input on the the PDP Law to ensure it aligns rights principles and international Together other civil society iC 135 Pohan et al.
encouraged the strengthening of management of personal data.
Rejection of Papua .
Increasing Pressure on the revision of the ITE Law 136 iC SAFEnet public protests disconnection of internet access in Papua New Guinea.
The Supreme Court later declared the policy illegal.
SAFEnet's encourages the government to be more open to data policies.
SAFEnet actively involved in the campaign revision of the ITE Law, which is threat to freedom They are rallying through petitions Public Awareness Improving Through trainings such as Digital Rights Camp.
SAFEnet understand the security, digital Increasing in the digital SAFEnet involvement of the public in movements such criticism of the Community approach in SAFEnet employs communitybased approach persist in areas This strategic shift from a passive monitoring role to proactive, data-driven advocacy reflects SAFEnetAos adaptive response to increasingly complex policy dynamics.
The implications of this transformation include JPW (Jurnal Politik Walisong.
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strengthening civil societyAos role as a check and balance to the state, heightening public awareness of digital rights, and building collaborative networks across sectors.
However, the efficacy of SAFEnetAos advocacy still hinges on bolstering its internal capacity and on the existence of policies that favor digital rights.
According to the Internet Policy Review .
SAFEnet is at the forefront of defending digital rights in Indonesia amid a digital ecosystem that is increasingly monitored and controlled by the state and technology corporations.
Conclusion and Recommendation Advances in digital technology have fundamentally transformed the landscape of civil society participation and advocacy in Indonesia.
The key findings of this study suggest that SAFEnet has undergone a significant evolution in its role as a driver of digital freedom Originally focused on monitoring digital rights violations.
SAFEnet now serves as a facilitator of public discourse, a provider of legal aid, and a catalyst for multi-sector Its digital-based advocacy strategies, such as active social media engagement, data-driven campaigns, and public outreach, have proven effective in raising public awareness and pressuring the state to be more accountable in protecting digital rights (Sukidin, et al.
, 2.
Even when confronted with repressive regulations, digital criminalization, and state control over cyberspace.
SAFEnet continues to exhibit adaptive and innovative capacity that expands digital public spaces and strengthens democratic engagement (Lorch & Mauk, 2.
The transformation of SAFEnetAos role exemplifies the broader structural shifts of civil society in the digital age.
SAFEnet emerges JPW (Jurnal Politik Walisong.
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as a concrete example of how civil society can collectively articulate digital rights through adaptive, technology-driven, and cross-sector strategies (Haristya, 2.
In practical terms, the implications of this study offer inspiration for other civil society organizations in designing effective digital contemporary challenges.
SAFEnetAos practices, including grassroots digital education, creative visual storytelling, and strategic coalitionbuilding, can be replicated and adapted to suit various contexts.
On the other hand, these findings theoretically enrich the literature on civil society in the digital age, demonstrating the relevance of network society theory (Castell.
and public sphere theory (Haberma.
in the context of digital freedom advocacy in developing countries.
The digital space serves as a new arena where power is negotiated, resistance is built, and solidarity is strengthened (Vinata, 2.
Based on this study, four key strategic pillars are recommended to enhance digital advocacy efforts:
First, strengthen digital literacy.
This is the top priority for building public resilience to disinformation, information manipulation, and other forms of digital repression (Kashaka.
Civil society organizations must consistently educate the public about digital rights, privacy protection, and cybersecurity, so that citizensAo awareness of digital issues increases and their participation in digital public spaces becomes more informed and critical.
Second, promote inclusive policy advocacy.
Civil society actors should be actively involved in the process of formulating digital laws and Such engagement is crucial to ensure that any new regulations, such as personal data iC 137 Pohan et al.
protection rules or cybercrime laws, uphold principles of social justice and human rights, rather than merely serving the interests of the state or corporations.
Third, forge multi-sector coalitions.
Multisector collaboration is a key strategy for building a sustainable digital advocacy Synergy between civil society organizations, academics, journalists, the private sector, and reform-minded government elements can yield a more holistic approach to addressing the complexity of contemporary digital issues.
Fourth, leverage technological innovation.
There is an urgent need to explore the use of cutting-edge technologies .
, artificial intelligence (AI), blockchain, big data analytic.
in advocacy.
Integrating these tools can make advocacy campaigns more adaptive, scalable, and evidence-based (Madon & Masiero, 2.
, while also requiring vigilance regarding potential political and ethical risks to civil Collectively, these measures can strengthen IndonesiaAos digital democracy and help create a more inclusive digital public sphere.
This research still has several limitations.
First, because it relies on a literature review approach, the analysis is confined to available secondary data.
the absence of primary data limits the depth of insight into the organizationAos internal dynamics and the experiences of advocacy actors.
Second, this study focused on only one case (SAFEne.
, so the findings cannot be directly generalized to other civil society approaches, and challenges.
Building on these findings and limitations, this study proposes several directions for future research.
First, 138 iC future studies should incorporate primary data through methods such as in-depth interviews.
This would allow researchers to capture firsthand the dynamics of advocacy practice, personal narratives, and collective emotions that often cannot be discerned from documents alone.
Second, comparative studies across organizations or countries are needed to understand variations in digital advocacy strategies, obstacles, and achievements under different political, cultural, and regulatory This comparative approach would enrich perspectives and help avoid overgeneralizing from a single case.
Third, a further critical analysis of digital policies is recommended, particularly examining laws such as the Personal Data Protection Law and the Electronic Information and Transactions Law (ITE) Law in greater depth to understand how these regulations affect the protection of citizensAo digital rights.
Fourth, researchers should explore the use of emerging technologies in advocacy, considering both their empowering potential and the political or ethical risks they might pose to civil society movements.
Pursuing these research agendas will not only broaden the scholarly horizon regarding the transformation of digital civil society actors, such as SAFEnet, but also enhance our understanding of this phenomenon.
Still, it will also help build a more adaptive, critical, and socially just framework for digital advocacy praxis amid the rapid evolution of information JPW (Jurnal Politik Walisong.
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REFERENCE