Bandung City DPRD Commission I Pushes for Stronger Oversight of Digital Content and Creation of a Code of Ethics for Social Media Creators

Tempo Information – Chairman of Commission I of Bandung City DPRD, Radea Respati, urged all parties to collaborate to address harmful practices in the digital space amid the rise of exploitation of viral content for personal gain on social media. The development of digital technology and social media has brought major changes to how people communicate. Today, expressions are often recorded, edited, monetised, and disseminated without clear consent. There is a need for synergy between the local government, legislature, law enforcement, digital platforms, and society. The Bandung City DPRD Commission I also welcomed steps taken by the central government through Government Regulation Number 17 of 2025 on Tunas Komdigi, seen as playing a key role in strengthening oversight of the digital space, especially for children, personal data protection, and improving media and information literacy. Concrete implementations of PP TUNAS by Komdigi include several operational policies applied directly to digital platforms and communities. The implementing rules are reinforced by Ministerial Regulation No. 9 of 2026: age verification, filters for negative content, features to prevent doom scrolling, protection of children’s personal data and parental participation (family mode). Additionally, the practice of “giveaway by design” has drawn attention, whereby goods are given with a narrative implying authenticity and quality, but in reality may be counterfeit or inconsistent with information presented. This risks misleading the public and spreading disinformation in the digital space. The Commission I also highlighted the phenomenon of some regional heads using social media to oversell government performance to bolster personal popularity. Such communication patterns risk blurring the line between public information and political image-building online. According to Radea Respati, using social media by regional heads can be positive for openness and public engagement, but content must respect public communications ethics, the professionalism of office, privacy protection, and not exploit social conditions for popularity or engagement. “Let not the government’s digital space become a space of sensationalism. The public needs substantive, educational information that provides solutions, not merely chasing virality,” said Radea Respati. He emphasised that digital activity must observe ethics, norms, and applicable laws. Under the Personal Data Protection Act, the use of photos, videos, faces or identifiable individuals constitutes personal data that requires consent and a legitimate purpose. Under the Information and Electronic Transactions Act (UU ITE), disseminating misleading content, harming others, violating morality, or defaming can carry legal consequences. As a solution, Commission I also called for drafting a code of ethics for social media practitioners and digital content creators, similar to the journalism sector’s Code of Ethics in delivering information to the public. Radea Respati also noted that the media landscape has entered a digitalised, highly competitive era, where many media companies monetise via engagement-based advertising, content distribution, impressions, and page views. This is part of the evolution of the digital media industry. Nevertheless, online media bear a major responsibility to maintain professionalism, independence, accuracy of information, and to comply with the Code of Ethics for Journalists when delivering news to the public. The article notes a cautionary example from film regulations where a disclaimer underscores fiction, teaching that stories are fictional if there are similarities, as an example for public education. The ethics code is seen as essential for building moral and social responsibility in the use of digital media, including: 1) maintaining information accuracy; 2) preventing hoaxes and disinformation; 3) respecting privacy and individual expression; 4) not exploiting children, women, or vulnerable groups; 5) avoiding sensational content with sexual elements. According to Radea Respati, social media practitioners today wield substantial influence on public opinion and social behaviour, thus a digital ethics standard is needed as a shared guide for a healthy, educational, and responsible information space. Without strict supervision of social media practitioners and digital content creators, there is a risk of individuals disseminating incorrect or unsuitable information. In addition to strengthening regulations, the Commission I also called for drafting a code of ethics for social media practitioners and digital content creators, similar to the journalism sector’s Code of Ethics.