Efektivitas UU ITE Dalam Menekan Cyberbullying: Analisis Sosiologi Hukum Terhadap Perilaku Netizen di Indonesia

Abstract

This study examines the effectiveness of Indonesia's Electronic Information and Transactions Law (UU ITE) in curbing cyberbullying through the lens of sociology of law. Cyberbullying and online gender-based violence have risen sharply alongside internet penetration, yet law enforcement outcomes remain limited. Using a socio-legal (yuridis-sosiologis) approach, this study analyzes secondary data from official monitoring reports, national internet-use surveys, and peer-reviewed legal journals published between 2016 and 2026, employing qualitative content analysis and source triangulation. Data are interpreted through Lawrence M. Friedman's tripartite framework of legal structure, legal substance, and legal culture. The findings show that although the legal substance has been strengthened, from Article 27(3) of Law No. 11/2008 and Law No. 19/2016 to Article 27A of Law No. 1/2024, its formulation remains multi-interpretable and prone to misuse as a tool of repression (SLAPP). Institutional capacity for digital forensics and case follow-up remains weak, with only a small share of reported cases resulting in prosecution. Public legal culture also shows low reporting behavior and a tendency to normalize online harassment. The study concludes that formal strengthening of UU ITE has not been matched by proportional improvement in enforcement structures and public legal culture, so its effectiveness in suppressing cyberbullying remains limited. Policy implications include clearer statutory drafting, strengthened digital forensic capacity, and sustained digital literacy programs.