The Ministry of Communication and Digital Affairs (Komdigi) disclosed that they had called in representatives from TikTok, as well as Meta Platforms, which owns Facebook, WhatsApp, and Instagram, to discuss the issues of disinformation and fake news that circulate on their platforms.
This action is occurring as the trend of relying on social media for news has contributed to the growth of misinformation and disinformation, allowing it to thrive.
Reports indicate that the Indonesian government's initiative follows local protests. Komdigi Deputy Minister Angga Raka Prabowo mentioned that the disinformation found on social media platforms has incited public anger, leading to demonstrations. Monitoring efforts by Komdigi have revealed that a significant amount of disinformation is prevalent on TikTok and Instagram.
Through this summons, the government is pushing these platforms to enhance their content moderation and take a more proactive stance. TikTok and Meta may face suspension and substantial fines should they not adhere to the government’s requests.
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This comes as various studies have suggested that TikTok, in particular, has heralded a new wave of misinformation online, exposing a predominantly young user base to misleading information.
Such misinformation has varied from innocuous advice, like taking showers with oranges to alleviate anxiety, to hazardous falsehoods related to mental health and questionable remedies. The Indonesian government will also request that these platforms remove such content, including materials related to pornography and online gambling.
While distinct discussions with Meta and TikTok are scheduled for this week, Angga mentioned that the government will also invite Elon Musk’s X platform and YouTube to join.
Both TikTok and Meta boast over 100 million user accounts in Indonesia, making it one of the largest markets globally.
Angga cited several instances of disinformation in the country, including a deep fake video featuring Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati claiming that teachers were a burden to the nation. He noted that certain content has misrepresented older footage of riots in Jakarta as being current. Angga was referring to recent public protests where hundreds clashed with law enforcement and faced arrests, with some protesters being under 18 years old, expressing their discontent with the salaries and benefits of parliament members.
The Child Protection Commission revealed that some detained minors had participated in the protests following TikTok videos that urged them to take action, according to Angga. The dissemination of disinformation on social media platforms is not an issue exclusive to Indonesia.
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Research from MIT has shown that false news can propagate up to ten times quicker than accurate news on social media. The researchers also pointed out that when misleading and sensational posts go viral, their corrections tend to receive less visibility and credibility.
In Taiwan, the government accused China earlier this year of employing AI-driven misinformation to create divisions among the Taiwanese population, as reported by the National Security Bureau of the island.