Joko Widodo on Mark Zuckerberg

President Joko Widodo has engaged directly with Mark Zuckerberg primarily to advocate for technological investment and expansion of internet access within Indonesia. The core of his position centers on leveraging Facebook’s platform and expertise to support the nation’s goal of becoming the largest digital economy in Southeast Asia, a target projected to reach US$ 130 billion by 2020. Evidence of this collaboration includes requests from the President for Facebook to assist in empowering the digital economy and fostering the growth of local technopreneurs through policy support and innovation.

Meetings between the two figures have taken place in both Jakarta and the United States, highlighting a consistent focus on digital development. Following their 2014 meeting in Jakarta, Zuckerberg pledged to assist Indonesia in expanding Internet access to remote communities, aligning with Widodo’s vision for greater national connectivity. The President consistently emphasized utilizing Facebook's massive user base in Indonesia—nearly 70 million users at the time—to spur small and medium businesses, viewing the partnership as crucial for national economic acceleration.