Bappisus Urges Public Not to Be Easily Provoked by Divisive Narratives

The Head of the Special Development and Investigation Agency (Bappisus), Aris Marsudiyanto, has urged the public not to be easily provoked by narratives on social media that could divide society. He called for greater critical awareness in responding to circulating information, especially given the increasing ease with which Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology can be used to manipulate content.

‘I urge the entire community not to be easily provoked by dubious social media,’ Aris said after attending the Consolidation/Forum Group Discussion (FGD) of the Junior Attorney General for Intelligence for 2026 in Jakarta, Monday (10/8).

According to Aris, the public needs to be wary of the emergence of various narratives deliberately created to provoke anxiety and influence the situation within society. He noted that the momentum leading up to the Independence Day commemoration in August must be safeguarded to prevent it from being exploited by parties seeking to cause division.

The development of AI technology has made the spread of manipulative information increasingly difficult to recognise. Aris stated that not only text and images can be fabricated, but also videos through deepfake technology. ‘Now, with Artificial Intelligence or AI, all social media news can be manipulated,’ he said.

Aris touched upon a situation that recently went viral on social media regarding a shopping mall that was fenced off and then dismantled following narratives about potential riots ahead of the Independence Day celebrations. He said this phenomenon demonstrates the importance of the public not immediately believing information circulating in the digital space.

He asked the public not to let narratives from unclear sources influence their attitudes or actions. Information that has the potential to provoke panic, hostility, or anxiety must be verified before being believed and disseminated.

Aris also reminded the public not to give space to irresponsible parties to use social media as a means to divide unity. According to him, public caution is one of the keys to preventing provocation from escalating into a larger problem. ‘Even deepfake videos can be inserted, all sorts of things. I urge the entire community to use credible media,’ Aris said.

Therefore, he encouraged the public to use credible media as a reference when encountering dubious information. This step is necessary so that the public can distinguish between true information and content deliberately manipulated to build a certain narrative.

Aris stressed that the public must not be easily swept away by information created by parties whose responsibility is unknown. He stated that a critical attitude is necessary so that differences of opinion do not develop into conflict or division within society.

‘So once again, do not be easily provoked by social media that is essentially launched or issued by irresponsible people,’ he concluded.