The Individualization of Legal Responsibility in Digital Education: Teacher Liability in Indonesian Senior High Schools

Budi Argap Situngkir; Suwito Eko Pramono; Syaiful Amin; Ridwan Arifin; Christina Noelia Umbría

doi:10.23969/litigasi.v27i2.44358

Authors

Budi Argap Situngkir Postgraduate School, Universitas Negeri Semarang
Suwito Eko Pramono Faculty of Social and Political Sciences, Universitas Negeri Semarang
Syaiful Amin Faculty of Social and Political Sciences, Universitas Negeri Semarang
Ridwan Arifin Faculty of Law, Universitas Negeri Semarang
Christina Noelia Umbría Sociedad Civil de Derecho y Políticas Públicas (SOCIPOL)

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.23969/litigasi.v27i2.44358

Keywords:

Digital Accountability, Sociolegal Studies, Teacher Liability, ITE Law, Data Protection

Abstract

As schools across Indonesia rapidly adopt digital tools, educators face a complex tangle of legal challenges, from student data privacy and cybersecurity to strict regulations governing electronic information. Technology has blended into daily teaching, but little attention is paid to whether teachers are genuinely equipped to manage these legal demands. This socio-legal research portrays the responsibility of senior high school teachers in Medan, Indonesia, when adopting digital technology in their classrooms. It uses a mixed-methods approach, combining survey data with in-depth interviews of educators and legal practitioners. Although teachers may exercise their duty in ways that could threaten students, this legal analysis covers the general obligations of the teaching profession as specified by the Indonesian Personal Data Protection Law (Law No. 27 of 2022) and the Electronic Information and Transactions Law (Law No. 1 of 2024). The results highlight a concerning discrepancy between practical use of technology and teachers’ awareness of their legal risks. This exposure is exacerbated by institutional voids and a systemic propensity for flexible, trust-based classroom processes that obscure accountability between teachers and schools. This study concludes that teacher liability in the digital age cannot be treated as an isolated issue; it can only be properly addressed as part of a strong institutional mechanism for comprehensive allocation of liability and real legal and technical protection. Real accountability only comes with objective institutional expectations, enforced digital legal training, and a more unified national regulatory schema.

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