Indonesia’s E-Visa System Faces Data Breach, Exposing Tourists’ Personal Information

A technical issue with Indonesia’s e-visa system has reportedly exposed the personal data of foreign tourists, raising concerns about identity theft and system vulnerabilities.

Indonesia has reportedly experienced a series of data breaches involving e-visa disruptions that exposed the personal information of foreign tourists.

A technical issue with Indonesia’s e-visa system database accidentally leaked tourists’ personal information. This incident allegedly began several months after the country implemented autogate systems at airports across Indonesia.

According to ABC, as reported by news.com.au on Wednesday, the 9th of October, three Australians who travelled to Bali separately were affected by the breach, during which personal information of other foreigners appeared on their phones when they scanned the QR code on their visa documents.

Lauren Levin, an Australian citizen, expressed her shock when the full names, dates of birth, passport numbers, photos, and other personal details of several people appeared on her phone screen.

“I could see the visa data of two other Australians, and perhaps they could see my personal data too,” Levin said.

When questioned by immigration officers at the airport, Levin was told that this issue had been ongoing for some time, affecting everyone.

Additionally, screenshots of Levin’s cousin’s e-visa document, who visited Bali two months ago, showed the personal details of a man who had travelled to Bali from India. Meanwhile, another Australian traveller to Bali reportedly saw the details of two Chinese tourists on his document, including their passport photos.

“With the risk of identity theft, I’m concerned that my data, along with that of other Australians, has been compromised,” Levin added.

However, it remains unclear how many tourists have been impacted by the technical glitch, as not all visa applicants have encountered the issue.

The Directorate General of Immigration in Jakarta is currently investigating the alleged data breach of foreign tourists. A spokesperson confirmed that they are working to fix the system anomaly.

“We are aware of this issue, but we receive tens of thousands of visit visa applications every day,” said a spokesperson for the Directorate General of Immigration. “Anomalies like this have occurred before, but that doesn’t mean we take it lightly. We must continue to learn from mistakes to improve the system.”