Indonesia Cracks Down on Social Media Disinformation

Indonesia has called on Meta, TikTok, and other platforms to increase content moderation due to the spread of disinformation, which has stoked protests. The government plans to enforce stricter regulations to protect the public and ensure accurate information online. Meetings with the platforms are scheduled this week.

Indonesia has summoned social media giants, including Meta Platforms Inc. and ByteDance's TikTok, demanding they intensify their content moderation efforts. This comes as the spread of disinformation on TikTok and Instagram triggers public outrage and protests against the government, according to Deputy Communications Minister Angga Raka Prabowo.

Prabowo stated the government would urge these platforms to proactively moderate or remove disinformation, as well as content related to pornography and online gambling, without waiting for a government directive. He emphasized the importance of abiding by these regulations to safeguard national interest, warning of penalties such as fines, suspension, or even delisting as a registered electronic platform.

This move follows the dissemination of misleading content, such as a deep fake video of Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati. Protests erupted recently, fueled by such misinformation, with reports indicating that youth involved were influenced by social media videos. Scheduled meetings with TikTok, Meta, and other platforms aim to address these concerns.