BMKG Clarifies Social Media Screenshots as Fabricated
The Indonesian Agency for Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics (BMKG) has emphasised that screenshots circulating on social media, which imply that the official Instagram account @infobmkg was unresponsive to posts from the Cabinet Secretariat (Setkab), are the result of fabricated editing.
BMKG’s Principal Secretary, Guswanto, clarified that the images had been irresponsibly edited (cropped/combined). This triggered public misperception, suggesting a lack of synchronisation between government institutions.
“We must emphasise that the screenshot of the comment from the @infobmising admin was an answer to a specific question from a netizen regarding volcanic activity. That comment was not a form of official rebuttal or correction by BMKG regarding the Cabinet Secretariat’s post,” Guswanto stated in an official statement in Jakarta on Friday (11/9).
Guswanto explained that the Cabinet Secretariat’s advisory regarding the potential impact of volcanic ash dispersion and flight safety remains aligned with BMKG’s operational scope. This is part of the volcanic ash advisory monitored routinely by meteorological authorities.
In the clarification, BMKG also reaffirmed the division of institutional authority. The Centre for Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation (PVMBG) holds full authority to monitor the internal activity of volcanoes and determine disaster statuses (Alert/Standby/Danger). Meanwhile, BMKG is authorised to monitor weather, climate, tectonic earthquakes, tsunamis, and manage volcanic ash dispersion data in the atmosphere for aviation safety.
The public is advised to access official information regarding volcanic ash dispersion through the bmkg.go.id website and to monitor volcanic activity status through the PVMBG’s magma.esdm.go.id channel.
BMKG has requested the public to be more diligent in filtering information in the digital space to prevent misunderstandings. “This simple step is very significant to ensure that the community receives a complete, honest, and undivided picture of information, rather than being divided by erroneous perceptions,” concluded Guswanto.