Ministry of Communication and Digital Views AI Deepfakes as a Threat to National Security
The Ministry of Communication and Digital (Komdigi) has announced plans to tighten supervision of the national digital space following the rise of deepfake technology threats. The case involving the manipulation of vulgar photos using AI, involving a student from Tanjungpura University (Untan) with the initials RY, serves as a serious alarm for national stability and social cohesion.
The Minister of Communication and Digital, Meutlam Meutya Hafid, emphasised during a working meeting with Commission I of the House of Representatives (DPR RI) on Monday (18/5) that information disruption is no longer merely a technical issue, but rather the second-largest global challenge in the next two years. “Our security risks also include an accumulation of threats that have the potential to trigger social disintegration and systematic weakness in national cohesion,” stated Meutya. She added that the deepfake crisis threatens national security due to the high level of similarity with authentic products, making it vulnerable to misuse for fraud and fake pornography.
The Minister revealed that the government will not hesitate to take extreme measures against uncooperative platforms. One concrete step previously taken was the temporary suspension of the ‘Grok’ AI feature on the X platform following numerous public complaints regarding visual manipulation content. “At that time, we received a very high number of complaints from the public, and we decided that Grok had to be temporarily closed until there was a guarantee of improvement,” she asserted. The service has since been reactivated following a written commitment from X to improve its moderation systems.
Furthermore, the government is currently drafting new regulations that would mandate identity verification for social media users and require platforms to have official representative offices in Indonesia. This move is prompted by the low level of compliance among platforms in moderating dangerous content, which previously reached only 20%.
On the other hand, the Minister of Higher Education, Science, and Technology, Brian Yuliarto, expressed serious concern regarding the case at Untan. He assessed that the misuse of AI has violated the dignity and privacy of the student. Brian commended the swift action taken by the Rector of Untan, Garuda Wiko, who immediately activated the Task Force for the Prevention and Handling of Violence in Higher Education (PPKPT). “Universities must be safe spaces for learning. There must be no tolerance for actions that demean others through the misuse of digital technology and AI,” said Brian.
Untan Rector, Garuda Wiko, ensured that the entire handling process is being conducted professionally and objectively. The university also urged the public to be wise in responding to information and to refrain from spreading the identities of those involved to maintain the integrity of the ongoing investigation.