Indonesia Calls on Local Governments and Public to Combat Digital Hoaxes

Coordinating Minister for Political and Security, retired General Djamari Chaniago, visited Banjarbaru, South Kalimantan, urging regional administrations to take the lead in delivering accurate information online. He stressed that early, coordinated action in the digital arena is essential to prevent misinformation from shaping public perception, and proposed the creation of a dedicated body involving local officials, the armed forces, police and other stakeholders to monitor emerging issues.

The Ministry of Communication and Digital, represented by Director General Fifi Aleyda Yahya, appealed to citizens to verify photos and videos before sharing them, warning that reposted content without proper context can mislead audiences. She highlighted the ministry’s recent detection of 1,890 hoax items in the past year and its handling of 4.1 million negative pieces of content, and called for simple verification steps such as checking dates, sources and cross‑referencing reputable media.