Criminal Liability for The Perpetrators of TikTok Account Forgery in Indonesia
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.66111/6jgxg842Keywords:
Criminal liability, Electronic document, Cyber fraud, Identity forgery, ITE Law, TikTokAbstract
The rapid expansion of digital connectivity in Indonesia has increased exposure to identity-based cybercrime, including the creation of fake TikTok accounts. With internet penetration reaching over 78 percent of the population and more than 139 million active social media users, digital platforms have become central to economic and social interaction (APJII, 2023; We Are Social & Meltwater, 2024). This study analyzes the legal qualification of TikTok account forgery within Indonesian criminal law and examines whether such conduct fulfills the elements of criminal liability under Article 35 of the Law on Electronic Information and Transactions (ITE Law). Using a normative juridical method with statutory and conceptual approaches, the research applies grammatical, systematic, and teleological interpretation to assess the structure of the offense. The findings demonstrate that TikTok accounts qualify as Electronic Documents under Article 1 of the ITE Law and that the deliberate creation of fake accounts intended to appear authentic satisfies the objective and subjective elements of Article 35. Criminal sanctions may therefore be imposed under Article 51 paragraph (1), which provides penalties of up to twelve years’ imprisonment and substantial fines. The study further identifies enforcement challenges related to digital attribution and evidentiary standards, while affirming the normative sufficiency of the ITE Law in addressing digital identity manipulation. The research contributes to strengthening doctrinal clarity and proportional application of criminal sanctions within Indonesia’s evolving digital legal landscape.
References
Ali, M. (2015). Dasar-dasar hukum pidana. Sinar Grafika.
Asosiasi Penyelenggara Jasa Internet Indonesia. (2023). Survei internet Indonesia 2023. APJII.
Badan Siber dan Sandi Negara. (2023). Laporan tahunan keamanan siber 2023. BSSN.
Chazawi, A. (2017). Pelajaran hukum pidana: Penafsiran hukum pidana, dasar peniadaan, pemberatan dan peringanan, kejahatan aduan, perbarengan dan ajaran kausalitas. PT RajaGrafindo Persada.
Hutchings, A., & Holt, T. J. (2017). A crime script analysis of the online stolen data market. British Journal of Criminology, 57(3), 596–614.
Kshetri, N. (2022). Cybercrime and cyber-security issues associated with the COVID-19 pandemic. Journal of International Management, 28(1), 100871.
Leukfeldt, R., & Yar, M. (2016). Applying routine activity theory to cybercrime: A theoretical and empirical analysis. Deviant Behavior, 37(3), 263–280.
Mulyadi, T., et al. (2022). Penegakan hukum terhadap tindak pidana penghinaan dalam sosial media platform Tiktok. Jurnal Rechten: Riset Hukum dan Hak Asasi Manusia, 4(1).
Nurhadi, D., & Pratama, A. (2021). Pertanggungjawaban pidana terhadap pelaku penipuan melalui media elektronik berdasarkan Undang-Undang ITE. Jurnal Ius Constituendum, 6(2), 240–258.
Renggong, R. (2016). Hukum pidana khusus: Memahami delik-delik di luar KUHP. Kencana.
Sari, N. P., & Wibowo, A. (2020). Perlindungan hukum terhadap korban kejahatan siber dalam sistem hukum Indonesia. Jurnal Hukum Ius Quia Iustum, 27(2), 356–372.
Soekanto, S., & Mamudji, S. (2014). Penelitian hukum normatif: Suatu tinjauan singkat. PT RajaGrafindo Persada.
Susanto, A., & Santoso, B. (2023). Rekonstruksi unsur “manipulasi” dalam Pasal 35 UU ITE. Jurnal Legislasi Indonesia, 20(1), 45–60.
Wall, D. S. (2015). Dis-organised crime: Towards a distributed model of the organization of cybercrime. International Review of Law, Computers & Technology, 29(1), 71–90.
We Are Social, & Meltwater. (2024). Digital 2024: Indonesia.
Undang-Undang Nomor 1 Tahun 1946 tentang Kitab Undang-Undang Hukum Pidana.
Undang-Undang Nomor 11 Tahun 2008 tentang Informasi dan Transaksi Elektronik sebagaimana telah diubah terakhir dengan Undang-Undang Nomor 1 Tahun 2024.
Undang-Undang Nomor 1 Tahun 2023 tentang Kitab Undang-Undang Hukum Pidana.
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Sonya Pasaribu, Leo Lo (Author)
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
