Government Prepares Strategy to Combat Disinformation Wave Driven by Algorithms

The government has prepared a strategy to face the wave of disinformation driven by social media algorithms, according to Deputy Minister of Communication and Digital Affairs, Nezar Patria. He explained that the strategy includes strengthening content moderation based on the Electronic Information and Transactions Law.

“Content moderation is carried out by the Ministry of Communication and Digital Affairs based on existing mandates and legal rules. We still respect freedom of expression as long as it does not lead to defamation, disinformation, and hate speech,” he said in a ministry press statement confirmed on Thursday.

With nearly 240 million internet users in Indonesia, digital platforms have become a noisy space where users act as both producers and consumers of information. “They produce and consume information at the same time, so a lot of the information circulating is sometimes not based on facts,” Nezar said.

He explained that algorithms recognise user preferences based on digital activity, such as likes or viewing duration, causing users to receive more information aligned with their biases. “What we discuss on social media is often not a dialogue, but rather we shout and hear our own echoes. That is what is called an echo chamber,” he stated. “People prefer to give sentiment rather than facts.”

Nezar added that the situation is worsened by the emergence of artificial intelligence, which enables the creation of synthetic content and deepfakes that are increasingly difficult to distinguish from authentic material. He stressed the importance of the public getting into the habit of verifying the source and origin of content before believing or sharing it. The government is also promoting digital literacy programmes to encourage more critical thinking when engaging with information on digital platforms.