Indonesian police crack down on provocative AI and hoax content

Indonesian authorities are cracking down on the spread of provocative and manipulative social media content. Polda Metro Jaya has named nine suspects in connection with the dissemination of hoaxes aimed at inciting public unrest, specifically relating to issues surrounding August 2026. Investigators have identified a pattern where creators reuse old footage of past riots to manufacture narratives of current instability.

Separate from the general hoax crackdown, the West Java Regional Police (Polda Jawa Barat) arrested an individual for creating and distributing AI-manipulated videos featuring President Prabowo Subianto. The suspect allegedly used the content to increase social media popularity. Additionally, two men were detained for posting provocative commentary regarding the President's statements on Iran's nuclear program on the Threads platform.

Law enforcement officials noted that while some actors work independently, others operate in organized groups with specific roles, including those motivated by financial gain through paid content orders. Police stated they are investigating potential violations of the ITE Law, the Personal Data Protection Law, and even the Anti-Corruption Law if state funds are found to have financed the production of criminal content.