Bjorka’s Hacktivism in Indonesia: The Intercourse Paradox of Cyberdemocracy, Cyberactivism, and Cybersecurity

Abstract

The 2022 cyberattack from the hacktivist Bjorka in Indonesia is an example of evolution in how civil society expresses their interest in the scope of cyberactivism as an essential foundation to cyberdemocracy as the result of the advancement of ICT, rapid growth of internet users, and multi-sectors digitalization. As the trend to use hacktivism as an extreme method of cyberactivism begins to emerge in Indonesia, an essential question arises of how cyberactivism in Indonesia evolved into hacktivism and how it creates problematic relations to cybersecurity and, on the broader term, cyber sovereignty in Indonesia. We investigate the question by conducting a case study exploring information regarding Bjorka hacktivism, the evolution of cyberactivism in Indonesia, government regulation, and so forth through literature studies. The results suggest that Bjorka is the new chapter of cyberactivism in Indonesia that evolves in line with the advancement of ICT, the growth of internet users, and digitalization. It also represents a complex juxtaposed position between cyberdemocracy and cybersecurity. 

Received: 3 March 2024 / Accepted: 30 August 2024 / Published: 05 September 2024