Reconstructing the Legal Enforcement Framework for Digital Activism in an Era of Technological Disruption

Nibrosu Rohid; Rahma Sugihartati; Bagong Suyanto; Oleksandr Gotin; Nabrisi Rohid; Sukisno

doi:10.66325/nusantaralaw.v5i2.236

Authors

Nibrosu Rohid Universitas Airlangga, Surabaya, Indonesia & Universitas PGRI Ronggolawe, Tuban, Indonesia
Rahma Sugihartati Universitas Airlangga, Surabaya, Indonesia
Bagong Suyanto Universitas Airlangga, Surabaya, Indonesia
Oleksandr Gotin The National Security Institute, Ukraine
Nabrisi Rohid Universitas PGRI Ronggolawe, Tuban, Indonesia
Sukisno Universitas PGRI Ronggolawe, Tuban, Indonesia

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.66325/nusantaralaw.v5i2.236

Keywords:

Digital Activism; Digital Governance; Law Enforcement; Legal Framework; Technological Disruption.

Abstract

The rapid expansion of digital technologies has transformed civic engagement by enabling digital activism as a powerful medium for public participation, social advocacy, and democratic expression. While these developments strengthen citizen engagement, they also create significant legal challenges in balancing freedom of expression with the need to maintain public order and prevent digital misconduct. This study reconstructs the legal enforcement framework governing digital activism in the era of technological disruption by identifying regulatory deficiencies, evaluating current enforcement practices, and proposing a more adaptive and rights-based legal model. The research employs a qualitative normative legal methodology complemented by a socio-legal perspective. It analyzes statutory regulations, legal doctrines, judicial decisions, and policy frameworks concerning digital expression and online activism. Data were collected through a systematic review of legal documents, scholarly literature, and policy reports, then examined using conceptual and comparative legal analysis to identify structural weaknesses within existing enforcement mechanisms. The findings demonstrate that current enforcement remains largely rooted in conventional regulatory paradigms that inadequately address the complexity of digital activism. Ambiguous legal provisions, overlapping institutional authorities, and inconsistent enforcement practices generate legal uncertainty and increase the risk of over-criminalizing legitimate civic expression. Furthermore, the absence of clear legal standards governing digital advocacy, online mobilization, and algorithm-driven information dissemination complicates effective enforcement and weakens legal certainty. This study proposes a reconstructed enforcement framework grounded in the principles of proportionality, transparency, accountability, and digital rights protection. The framework emphasizes adaptive regulation, integrated digital governance, institutional capacity building, and clearer legal standards for technology-mediated civic participation. By bridging technological realities with constitutional safeguards, the proposed model contributes to contemporary legal scholarship on digital governance while offering practical policy recommendations for developing a more balanced, accountable, and responsive legal system capable of addressing the evolving challenges of the digital era.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

References

Adrogué, Manuela. ‘The Digital Playground Rules: Argentina’s Legal Framework for Child Data Protection’. GRUR International 75, no. 1 (2026): 50–56. https://doi.org/10.1093/grurint/ikaf097.

Ahmed, Omar Saad, Hussein Ajlan Hasan, Sameer Dawood Salman Bazool, Aigul Mirzaeva, and Oudha Yousif Salman Al-Musawi. ‘Fitnah in the Digital Age: Regulating Social Media Misuse Through Islamic Criminal Principles’. Al-Istinbath: Jurnal Hukum Islam 10, no. 2 (August 2025): 535–562. https://doi.org/10.29240/jhi.v10i2.13369.

Alaloosh, Mahmood, Ali Shaker Mahmood, and Sabir Hussien Eliwy. ‘Securing Digital Trade: A Techno-Legal Analysis of E-Commerce Safeguards in Iraq’s Regulation No. 4/2025’. Nusantara: Journal of Law Studies 5, no. 1 (February 2026): 44–60. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.18452737.

Alsobai, Bothaina, and Dalal Aassouli. ‘The Role of Legal and Regulatory Frameworks in Driving Digital Transformation for the Banking Sector in Qatar with Global Benchmarks’. Journal of Risk and Financial Management 19, no. 2 (2026). https://doi.org/10.3390/jrfm19020099.

Ananny, Mike, and Kate Crawford. ‘Seeing without Knowing: Limitations of the Transparency Ideal and Its Application to Algorithmic Accountability’. New Media & Society 20, no. 3 (March 2018): 973–89. https://doi.org/10.1177/1461444816676645.

Aryana, Andi Nadia, Muh. Akbar, Muhammad Farid, and Alem Febri Sonni. ‘Digital Forensics and Legal Communication: Network Analysis of Law Enforcement Response to Viral Youth Violence Cases in Indonesia’. Frontiers in Human Dynamics 8 (2026). https://doi.org/10.3389/fhumd.2026.1709823.

Bag, Akash, and Abhinav Pradhan. ‘Who Monitors the Monitors? Analysing the Legal Intricacies of Digital Forensic-Based Facial Recognition Technology in Law Enforcement’. Asian Journal of Legal Education 13, no. 1 (2026): 79–94. https://doi.org/10.1177/23220058251376612.

Bungin, Burhan. Analisis Data Penelitian Kualitatif. Jakarta: PT Raja Grafindo Persada, 2003.

Ceci, Marcello, and Domenico Bianculli. ‘Beyond the Digital Judge: Legal Reasoning in Compliance Checking and Compliance Choices’. Lect. Notes Comput. Sci. 16319 LNCS (2026): 137–152. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-032-11108-1_10.

Chan, Hui Yun. ‘Legal Preparedness in Implementing Digital Contact Tracing Apps in Managing Public Health Threats: The Singapore Experience’. International Journal of Law in Context, ahead of print, 2026. https://doi.org/10.1017/S1744552325100372.

Chanifah, Nur, Fahd bin Mohana bin Salim al-Ahmadi al-Ahmadi, Abu Samsudin, Nurul Islami, and Muhammad Najih Vargholy. ‘The Digitalisation of Employment, Fiqh Education and Empowerment of Migrant Workers’ Rights’. Justicia Islamica 23, no. 1 (March 2026): 253–284. https://doi.org/10.21154/justicia.v23i1.12454.

Demydova, Liudmyla, Vitalii Serohin, Tamara Yaroshevska, Vladas Tumalavičius, and Serhii Hordiyuk. ‘Regulating Digital Privacy and Surveillance in Ukraine: Legal Gaps and Harmonization with EU Standards in the Age of Big Data’. International Journal of Law and Society 5, no. 1 (2026): 1–25. https://doi.org/10.59683/ijls.v5i1.168.

Fasi, Mohammed Abdul. ‘Copyright Enforcement in the Social Media Ecosystem: A Comparative Legal Study of the US and UK Fair Dealing or Unfair System? Copyright, Content ID, and the Chilling Effect on Indian Digital Creators’. Journal of Intellectual Property Rights 31, no. 2 (2026): 299–315. https://doi.org/10.56042/jipr.v31i2.21410.

Irawatiningrum, Satya, Nibrosu Rohid, Andi Surya, and Hasanul Bulqiyah. ‘AI Metadata as a Determinant of Digital Communication Strategy: An Examination of the Freepik Platform’. Third International Conference on Emerging Trends in AI and Computational Technologies (ICONEST 2025) 14141 (March 2026): 45. https://doi.org/10.1117/12.3107666.

Ismawati, and Suud Sarim Karimullah. ‘Consumer Protection in the Digital Era: An Analysis of Consumer Protection in E-Commerce’. Nusantara: Journal of Law Studies 3, no. 02 (December 2024): 68–80. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.17376951.

Mardiah, Desni, Nushrotin Wafiroh, Nurroh Maya, Ayu Afni Yurmita, and Ariq Rachman Nasution. ‘Shopee PayLater in Digital Financial Transactions: Evaluation of Fiqh Based on Maqasid al-Syari’ah’. Ahlika: Jurnal Hukum Keluarga Dan Hukum Islam 2, no. 2 (December 2025): 146–172. https://doi.org/10.70742/ahlika.v2i2.290.

Mujtahid, Mujtahid, Ali Sodiqin, and Moch Nur Ichwan. ‘Social Labeling, Power, and Deviancy Amplification: Community Stigmatization of Migrant Residents in Adultery Cases in Banda Aceh’. Journal of Islamic Law 6, no. 2 (July 2025): 265–685. https://doi.org/10.24260/jil.v6i2.3754.

Mulcahy, Linda, and Joseph Patrick Mcaulay. ‘Webs within the Web: The Role of Epistemic Injustice in Creating Barriers to Public Legal Information about Rights in a Digital Age’. Journal of Law and Society, ahead of print, 2026. https://doi.org/10.1111/jols.70050.

Nassar, Hala, Pierre Mallet, Abdulaziz Alhassan, and Khaled Aljasmi. ‘Regulating Digital Influencers: Legal Accountability and Commercial Speech in the Age of Social Media–a French Model’. Information and Communications Technology Law, ahead of print, 2026. https://doi.org/10.1080/13600834.2026.2636329.

Nguyen, Nhat Khanh. ‘Advancing Administrative Sanctions Through Digital Transformation: A Legal Perspective from Vietnam’. Prawo i Wiez 60, no. 1 (2026): 533–555. https://doi.org/10.36128/p53ddd13.

Nopriansyah, Waldi, Arne Huzaimah, and Muhammad Salim. ‘The Relevance of the Al-Musâwâh Principle and the Law Prohibiting Monopolistic Practices in the Use of Digital Payments’. Jurnal Ilmiah Mizani: Wacana Hukum, Ekonomi Dan Keagamaan 11, no. 1 (April 2024): 101–114. https://doi.org/10.29300/mzn.v11i1.3439.

Noviarita, Heni, Muhammad Kurniawan, and Khavid Normasyhuri. ‘Developing Sustainable Muslim-Friendly Tourism Village Model Through Digital Tourism: Perspective of Shari’ah Economy’. Al-’Adalah 21, no. 1 (June 2024): 77–100. https://doi.org/10.24042/adalah.v21i1.21220.

O’Brien, Thomas. ‘Digital Activism and the State: Media Movements: Civil Society and Media Policy Reform in Latin America’. Tapuya: Latin American Science, Technology and Society 4, no. 1 (January 2021): 1973291. https://doi.org/10.1080/25729861.2021.1973291.

Okeal, Tarek El-Sayed Mahmod Abu, Hisham Alkasasbeh, Hanaa Ibrahiem Abdullah, and Salaheldin Ragab Fathelbab. ‘Preventive Legislative Approaches to Child Protection in the Digital Environment: A Comparative Study of Australia, France, and Egypt’. Nusantara: Journal of Law Studies 5, no. 1 (March 2026): 205–28. https://doi.org/10.66325/nusantaralaw.v5i1.222.

Ożóg, Michał, and Radosław Puchta. ‘The Right Not to Use the Internet and Protection against the Digital Divide: Some Preliminary Remarks’. Bialostockie Studia Prawnicze 30, no. 4 (2025): 9–23. https://doi.org/10.15290/bsp.2025.30.04.01.

Pastor-Bravo, Mar, Ezequiel Domínguez-Lucena, Marta Grijalba-Mazo, Eneko Barbería-Marcalain, Rosana Marcos-Ramos, Alfonso Colorado-Casado de Amezua, and Carmen Negre-Muñoz. ‘Estrategias de éxito para la transformación digital en los Institutos de Medicina Legal y Ciencias Forenses’. Revista Espanola de Medicina Legal 52, no. 1 (2026). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.reml.2025.500502.

Rohid, Nibrosu, Rahma Sugihartati, and Bagong Suyanto. ‘Artificial Intelligence as Digital Activism: Analyzing and Mapping the Communication Strategies of Young Activists’. Third International Conference on Emerging Trends in AI and Computational Technologies (ICONEST 2025) 14141 (March 2026): 22. https://doi.org/10.1117/12.3100685.

Rohid, Nibrosu, Rahma Sugihartati, Bagong Suyanto, Daniel Susilo, and Afriul Zikri. ‘Digital Activism in Contemporary Islamic Politics: A Critical Analysis of Social Media’s Impact on Islamic Movements’. MILRev: Metro Islamic Law Review 4, no. 1 (April 2025): 208–233. https://doi.org/10.32332/milrev.v4i1.10159.

Serah, Yenny Aman, Purwanto, Febrianawati, Resmaya Agnesia Mutiara Sirait, Agustinus Astono, Absori, and Arief Budiono. ‘Opportunities and Constraints in Developing a Digital-Based Legal Counseling Model in West Kalimantan’. WSEAS Transactions on Information Science and Applications 23 (2026): 90–101. https://doi.org/10.37394/23209.2026.23.8.

Setiyawan, Deni, Ismet Hadi, Noor Rahmad, Aditya Maulana Rizqi, and Kuni Nasihatun Arifah. ‘Law Enforcement of Sexual Violence on Social Media: An Islamic Restorative Justice Perspective’. De Jure: Jurnal Hukum Dan Syar’iah 17, no. 1 (April 2025): 90–111. https://doi.org/10.18860/j-fsh.v17i1.28185.

Siregar, Muhammad Habibi, Nofri Andy.N, Zulkarnain Abdurrahman, Muhiddinur Kamal, and Zainal Zainal. ‘Digital Fiqh and Ethical Governance: Negotiating Islamic Normativity and Online Narcissism in Contemporary Indonesia’. JURIS (Jurnal Ilmiah Syariah) 24, no. 1 (June 2025): 181–191. https://doi.org/10.31958/juris.v24i1.13218.

Stanford CIS. ‘Internet Platforms: Observations on Speech, Danger, and Money’. 15 June 2018. https://cyberlaw.stanford.edu/blog/2018/06/internet-platforms-observations-speech-danger-and-money/.

Taher, Mohammad Abu, Salahaldin Abdulkader Jebarah, Iman Syamil Ahmad Rajuhan, and Mohammad Belayet Hossain. ‘Decent Work in the Digital Age: A Legal Perspective on Platform-Based Employment in Bangladesh’. Humanities and Social Sciences Letters 14, no. 1 (2026): 111–125. https://doi.org/10.18488/73.v14i1.4667.

Theocharis, Yannis, Shelley Boulianne, Karolina Koc-Michalska, and Bruce Bimber. ‘Platform Affordances and Political Participation: How Social Media Reshape Political Engagement’. West European Politics 46, no. 4 (June 2023): 788–811. https://doi.org/10.1080/01402382.2022.2087410.

Ugli, Akramov Akmaljon Anvarjon, Abdikhakimov Islombek Bahodir Ugli, Sharipova Xilola Rustamovna, ⁠Yakubova Madinabonu Abdumalikovna, and Gulommamatova Parvina Akbarali Kizi. ‘Legal Issues of Digital Asset Inheritance from an Islamic Law Perspective’. Ijtihad : Jurnal Wacana Hukum Islam Dan Kemanusiaan 25, no. 2 (December 2025): 191–212. https://doi.org/10.18326/ijtihad.v25i2.191-212.

Weerts, Sophie, Clarissa Valli Buttow, Ilze Grobbelaar-Du Plessis, Fabiana De Menezes Soares, Cristiane Silva Kaitel, and Thábata Filizola Costa. ‘The Limits of Legal and Material Implementation of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities in Light of a Comparative Analysis of Measures Ensuring Digital Political Participation’. Journal of Human Rights Practice 18, no. 1 (2026). https://doi.org/10.1093/jhuman/huaf039.

Xinyue, Dong. ‘Social Media as a Tool for Political Mobilization: A Case Study of the 2020 Hong Kong Protests’. Journal of Public Representative and Society Provision 3, no. 1 (May 2023): 10–20. https://doi.org/10.55885/jprsp.v3i1.199.

Yan, Minji, Luye Mou, and Li Chen. ‘Digital Innovation and Legal Protection in China’s Predictive Policing’. Computer Law and Security Review 60 (2026). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.clsr.2026.106273.

Yao, Li. ‘Legal regulation of the institution of the digital human being in China’. Vestnik Sankt-Peterburgskogo Universiteta. Pravo 16, no. 4 (2025): 995–1011.