World.campusnesia.co.id - JAKARTA — A recent illegal wiretapping case has shocked the Indonesian public, highlighting the vulnerabilities of secure communications at the highest levels of government. The Criminal Investigation Agency of the Indonesian National Police (Bareskrim Polri) uncovered unauthorized surveillance targeting President Prabowo Subianto, state officials, and media figures throughout 2025–2026, executed through the misuse of access to the Lawful Interception Management System (LIMS).
International cinema has long depicted how surveillance technology and state wiretapping tools can be turned into dangerous political weapons. Here are five top political surveillance films and their parallels to the recent events in Indonesia.
1. All the President's Men (1976)
Main Theme: The Watergate wiretapping scandal and investigative journalism.
Synopsis: Based on the true story of The Washington Post journalists Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein, who exposed the break-in and wiretapping at the Democratic National Committee headquarters in the Watergate complex.
Correlation: The Watergate scandal stands as the historical blueprint for political wiretapping. Much like Watergate's illegal intrusion and cover-up attempts, the wiretapping of President Prabowo was exposed after an instruction to delete digital trace log files from the LIMS system was reported by an internal officer.
2. Enemy of the State (1998)
Main Theme: Abuse of state intelligence surveillance technology.
Synopsis: A lawyer (Will Smith) becomes a target after unknowingly acquiring evidence of a senior politician's assassination orchestrated by a high-ranking national security official. His communications, phones, and location are illegally monitored using advanced surveillance technology.
Correlation: The film illustrates the danger when surveillance tools meant for law enforcement and national security are exploited without authorization by rogue internal officials for personal or political agendas.
3. Snowden (2016)
Main Theme: Mass surveillance and internal leaks.
Synopsis: Based on the true story of Edward Snowden, a former CIA/NSA contractor who leaked classified details of global mass surveillance programs. The film shows how state interception systems can quietly monitor heads of state and private citizens without judicial oversight.
Correlation: Similar to Snowden's revelations, the situation in Indonesia underscores the necessity of whistleblowing mechanisms and independent digital audit controls over intercept devices used by law enforcement and cyber security agencies.
4. Official Secrets (2019)
Main Theme: Integrity breaches in interception systems and internal ethical conflicts.
Synopsis: Follows British intelligence specialist Katharine Gun, who discovers a confidential memo ordering an illegal wiretapping operation targeting UN diplomats to influence a political vote.
Correlation: The illegal tapping of government officials, civil society leaders, and business executives demonstrates how strategic interception tools can be weaponized outside their intended purpose when legal authorization and verification protocols are bypassed.
5. The Conversation (1974)
Main Theme: Technical aspects of audio surveillance and recording manipulation.
Synopsis: Directed by Francis Ford Coppola, this classic centers on a professional surveillance expert who spirals into political paranoia after recording a secret conversation that points to a high-level crime.
Correlation: The film highlights the sensitive nature of intercepted communication data. When managed outside strict legal procedures, illegal wiretapping poses severe risks to national security and human rights.
The exposure of the wiretapping case by Bareskrim Polri proves that surveillance scandals depicted on the big screen are far from mere fiction. A strict evaluation of state wiretapping governance alongside the National Cyber and Crypto Agency (BSSN) remains a critical step to ensure state security technology is not misused in the future.
