Mafindo: Public awareness is improving, but many remain trapped by hoaxes

Semarang — The head of the Indonesian Anti-Fake News Society Mafindo, Farid Zamroni M, said that Indonesians’ awareness and concern regarding hoaxes and misinformation in digital spaces is improving. ‘Many have started to realise the importance of verifying information before sharing or trusting online content. But many are still trapped by hoaxes due to a lack of digital literacy or deliberately spreading false information,’ Farid Zamroni said in Semarang on Sunday.

To this end, he suggested several prudent steps for handling hoaxes on social media. First, verify information sources by checking the credibility of the sites or accounts disseminating the news. Second, do not hurry to form opinions before reading a range of sources. Third, use fact-checking sites such as TurnBackHoax and CekFakta. Farid also reminded the public not to disseminate unverified information and to report hoax content to social media platforms or authorities.

‘Masyarakat also need to increase digital literacy and critical thinking in responding to AI-based hoaxes, because for ordinary people it is increasingly hard to distinguish fact from manipulation,’ he said.

According to him, social media users can begin by recognising signs of hoaxes, such as suspicious image or video quality, unclear sources, and lack of confirmation from credible media. ‘Don’t rush to believe. Take time to verify information before sharing. You can even utilise AI-based content-detection technology that is now becoming available,’ he added.

In Central Java, a wave of disinformation is actively targeting Governor Ahmad Luthfi ahead of late 2025 to early 2026. Various hoax contents circulated widely on social media such as TikTok, Instagram, and Facebook. The content included serious allegations, ranging from claims that the governor had been arrested by the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) to narratives that the government would collect taxes directly from residents’ homes. In fact, the arrest of Fadia had nothing to do with the governor. KPK has officially stated that during the OTT arrest, Fadia was not with the governor. Ahmad Luthfi has also denied Fadia’s statements. The second issue concerns a narrative that vehicle tax delinquents would be visited and billed forcibly at home. That information is also confirmed as untrue. The programme in question was actually a socialisation and education activity to improve public compliance with paying vehicle tax. The public is advised not to easily believe information on social media without verifying it from official sources.