Law Must Not Be Swayed by Social Media Sentiment, Says Deputy Minister

Deputy Minister of Communication and Digital Affairs Nezar Patria has reminded that law enforcement must not be determined by sentiment developing on social media. He urged that the law must continue to operate objectively based on facts and a fair process, despite the increasing pressure of public opinion in the digital space. “The law cannot be driven by sentiment, the law cannot be driven by anger, the law cannot be decided based on like or dislike,” Nezar said in a press statement on Wednesday (24/6/2026). Nezar observed that the phenomenon of law enforcement being influenced by social media sentiment has been occurring worldwide for almost a decade, due to the emergence of digital public spaces that have intensified public communication. “This phenomenon has been happening for almost 10 years. How cases exposed by social media receive extraordinary attention from law enforcement officials. Actually, this is not a phenomenon unique to Indonesia, but it is also global, where public communication now occurs more intensely in the digital public space,” said Nezar. Nezar cautioned that the algorithms used in digital platforms do not verify facts, making the digital space vulnerable to hoaxes, disinformation, misinformation, and the formation of perceptions that do not always correspond with reality. “Algorithms do not check and recheck. Disinformation, misinformation, rumours, and misleading information can emerge in public cases,” Nezar stated.