IPR urges public not to be provoked by hoax content on demonstrations

Director of Indonesia Political Review (IPR) Iwan Setiawan has urged the public not to be easily provoked by hoax content about ‘August demonstrations’ that has been spreading on social media recently.

‘The public needs to improve digital literacy. Before sharing any information, it is important to check the source, context and accuracy,’ Iwan said in a statement in Jakarta on Wednesday.

Recently, many social media accounts have been re-circulating old student demonstration videos accompanied by provocative narratives, such as ‘Why isn’t a demonstration this large covered by the media?’, ‘A demo this chaotic, yet local media remain silent’, or ‘A big demo outside, but no coverage in mainstream media’.

In addition, some content has also highlighted fears of large demonstrations or riots in August.

Iwan further observed that this phenomenon cannot be viewed as isolated posts. According to him, when narratives with the same theme appear simultaneously across various platforms, using nearly identical perspectives, it is reasonable to suspect a systematic effort to shape public opinion.

‘The narrative pattern is also relatively similar, namely raising issues of inequality, poverty and economic hardship, but then framing them manipulatively by mixing in disinformation, slander, or information taken out of context,’ he said.

‘When information is deliberately engineered to create hatred, what occurs is no longer social control, but rather a propaganda operation that has the potential to disrupt social stability,’ he added.

Iwan assessed that several communication patterns bear similarities to the preconditions before the August 2025 riots, such as the massive spread of emotional narratives, the use of easily viral content, and the exploitation of issues that touch on public anxieties.

However, he said it cannot be concluded that the current situation will definitely lead to or form part of the same scenario as the August 2025 events without strong evidence.

‘What needs attention is that in various political and social dynamics, escalation often begins with a war of narratives in the digital space. The important lesson is that the digital space must not be allowed to become an arena for the spread of unverified information that triggers polarisation and conflict in the real world,’ he said.

‘Law enforcement against those who spread hoaxes, slander or unlawful incitement must also be carried out professionally and fairly in accordance with applicable regulations,’ he added.

It is known that the Indonesian National Police are currently investigating hoax videos related to demonstrations circulating on social media.

‘At present, the team is conducting an in-depth investigation. We will provide information in due course,’ said National Police Chief General Listyo Sigit Prabowo in Jakarta on Wednesday.

He also reminded the public to share information that is factual.

‘Of course freedom exists, but do not do things that violate the law, especially creating false news, let alone committing acts that clearly breach the law,’ said the Police Chief.