Papua Diskominfo warns of 12 hoaxes circulating from January to July 2026

The Papua Communication and Informatics Office (Diskominfo) has recorded 12 hoaxes related to Papua circulating in the digital space from January to July 2026, urging the public to heighten vigilance against unverified information. Head of Papua Diskominfo Jeri Agus Yudianto stated in Jayapura on Monday that the spread of false information remains a serious threat, as it can cause public unrest, divide communities, and erode trust in official government information. Among the hoaxes that circulated were claims regarding the arrest of armed criminal group (KKB) members and foreign nationals, a plan to relocate one million Israeli citizens to Papua, the existence of a foreign military base in Papua, a prize draw from Bank Papua, aid distributed through a WhatsApp application falsely attributed to the Governor of Papua, fictitious aid worth IDR 147 billion, and a false announcement of a special public holiday to watch the 2026 World Cup final. In response, the agency is strengthening digital space monitoring, clarifying false information, and enhancing digital literacy education to help the public become more discerning in filtering information. He added that every citizen has a responsibility to maintain a healthy digital space by fact-checking and applying the principle of ‘saring sebelum sharing’ (filter before sharing) to stop the spread of hoaxes. ‘We hope that collaboration between the government, mass media, communities, traditional leaders, and all citizens can create a healthy and productive digital space, supporting the realisation of a critical Papuan society that is protected from the threat of disinformation,’ said Jeri Agus Yudianto.