The Indonesian Anti-Defamation Society has urged citizens to be wary of the massive circulation of hoaxes in digital spaces regarding the demonstrations that have been taking place in several regions in Indonesia.
In a press statement confirmed on Monday, Mafindo said that the circulating hoaxes included claims of looting at the DPR building and the Senen Atrium Mall as well as hoaxes created using artificial intelligence technology or deepfake .
According to Mafindo, hoaxes about riots, looting, and repression by authorities circulating on social media and messaging apps could exacerbate the situation and trigger an escalation of violence.
"As a result, uncertainty, anger, incitement to hatred, and acts of violence have emerged," said Mafindo Presidium Chairman Septiaji Eko Nugroho.
He reminded the public to be wary of the circulation of misinformation, disinformation, malinformation, and hate speech among the information flooding social media platforms.
"The public should not be easily provoked by unclear content, hoaxes, or hate speech," said Septiaji.
He also reminded citizens to use information from mainstream media and social media platforms responsibly.
