Ministry of Communication and Digital Urges Public to Verify Content Carefully
The Ministry of Communication and Digital (Kemkomdigi) has urged the public to be careful when checking photo and video content circulating on digital platforms to avoid being misled by old content that is re-uploaded without time stamps.
The Director General of Public Communication and Media at Kemkomdigi, Fifi Aleyda Yahya, stated that posts lacking information regarding place, time, source, and context have the potential to mislead, trigger misunderstandings, and exacerbate social situations.
“The public needs to be increasingly critical of every piece of information received. Do not immediately trust, let alone spread, photos or videos of demonstrations before confirming the time, location, and source,” Fifi said in Jakarta on Sunday.
Fifi added that old content published without proper context can create false perceptions. She emphasised that while the government respects the public’s freedom to obtain and convey information as guaranteed by law, such freedom comes with the responsibility to ensure that disseminated information is accurate and not misleading.
Therefore, the public is advised to perform simple verifications before sharing content, such as checking the upload date, scrutinising the information source, and comparing it with reports from credible mass media.
“The digital space must be a healthy space. Differences of opinion are natural in a democracy, but the spread of incorrect information can harm the wider community,” Fifi said. “Therefore, let us work together to keep the digital space informative, peaceful, and responsible.”
Kemkomdigi is monitoring developments in the digital space and strengthening collaboration with ministries, agencies, digital platforms, mass media, fact-checking communities, and other relevant stakeholders to prevent the circulation of negative content and maintain digital security. The Ministry also invites the public to play an active role in maintaining digital safety by reporting findings of negative content through the official aduankontent.id channel.