Qodari Proposes ID Card or Phone Number as Requirement for Social Media Accounts to Prevent Anonymity

The Head of the Indonesian Government Communication Agency (Kabakom), M. Qodari, stated that hoax information on social media is widely spread by anonymous accounts. To address this, he proposed requiring a National ID card (KTP) or a phone number to create social media accounts in order to reduce the number of anonymous users.

“From what I see, hoaxes usually originate from anonymous accounts. Therefore, the way to reduce hoaxes is by reducing anonymous accounts. To prevent anonymity, social media accounts should ideally have a basis, such as a phone number or a KTP,” said Qodari following a public relations coordination forum at the Marine Corps Headquarters, Central Jakarta, on Tuesday (1/9/2026).

Qodari explained that mobile phone numbers must currently be registered using identity numbers. He believes this practice is necessary to reduce fraud rates.

“We also know that there is a lot of fraud on social media today, whether it involves investment scams, love scams, and so on. Essentially, I believe that if we eliminate anonymity, then hoaxes will decrease,” he explained.

To this end, he wants anonymous accounts to be required to have official identities, which is expected to lower the spread of fake news. However, he noted that the specific mechanism for implementation still needs to be considered.

“The point is, I believe that if we make anonymity non-anonymous, then hoaxes will decrease. But how the mechanism will work is something we will think about and consider later,” he said.

“Ultimately, DFK (disinformation, slander, and lies) is our common enemy. The press is a friend, and social media is a friend, but DFK is certainly an opponent and an enemy because, as the name suggests, it consists of hoaxes and slander that do not align with facts and lack actual events. I believe we all agree that we just need to find a systematic mechanism to overcome this,” he concluded.