Meta, TikTok join Google in opposing Indonesia's proposed AI copyright rules

Jakarta - Meta, TikTok, and Google have joined forces to contest amendments to Indonesia's copyright law that would mandate digital platforms to compensate publishers for displaying news content and establish AI regulations. If enacted, Indonesia would be the first Southeast Asian nation to integrate AI into its copyright legislation as nations worldwide contemplate the ramifications of the technology on copyright laws, such as the utilization of human-created content to train AI models.

Agung Pamungkas, Google's Indonesia government affairs and public policy manager, conveyed at a parliamentary hearing that obliging tech platforms to remunerate for exhibiting links to news content from publishers would curtail Indonesians' access to news. Berni Moestafa, Meta's public policy head in Indonesia, argued that mandating platforms to remunerate could result in publishers losing readership traffic, along with possible advertising and subscription income.

Reuters exclusively disclosed the proposed amendments in July, referencing a draft of the bill. Noudhy Valdryno, TikTok's head of public policy in Indonesia, addressed lawmakers, asserting that disclosure requirements should not pertain to AI being employed solely for assistance, rather than for wholly generating content. Noudhy solicited lawmakers to sustain safe-harbour protections, stating platforms cannot reliably ascertain copyright ownership or licenses.