Jakarta – Indonesia’s Attorney General Office has launched an expansive investigation into a $600 million digital education initiative — a probe that has now entangled Google Indonesia and former Education Minister Nadiem Makarim.
The program, once hailed as a flagship policy to modernize classrooms across the country, was centered on deploying approximately 250,000 Chromebooks to public schools. However, officials now claim the devices were ineffective in many regions due to widespread internet limitations, which had already been flagged during a government-run pilot project.
Investigators are examining why the Ministry of Education proceeded with the Chromebook deployment despite internal evaluations suggesting Windows-based laptops were better suited to local conditions. Allegations suggest the shift may not have been a matter of policy — but profit and influence.
Multiple high-ranking officials and stakeholders have been summoned for questioning, including staff linked to Google Indonesia, which reportedly played a significant role in pushing the Chromebook strategy. Although no formal charges have been made against the company, its position in the center of the procurement plan has drawn intense scrutiny.
The investigation has grown to include Indonesia’s former Minister of Education, Nadiem Makarim, who has been officially banned from leaving the country for six months. Makarim is also the founder of Gojek, a tech unicorn that merged with e-commerce platform Tokopedia to form the GoTo Group in 2021.
Authorities raided GoTo’s Jakarta offices last week, seizing data storage devices as potential evidence. While it remains unclear how GoTo is connected to the Chromebook procurement, its inclusion in the probe signals the widening scope of the case and potential cross-sector links.
The digital education program was once praised as a critical leap toward modern learning for Indonesian students. Yet, its shortcomings have highlighted systemic gaps — both in infrastructure and governance.
With the investigation ongoing, this scandal could reshape public trust in Indonesia’s digital ambitions and pose new questions about corporate accountability in international development partnerships.
