Minister of Communication and Digital Meutya Hafid invited young people to participate in building a digital space that is safe, ethical, and free from hoaxes, hate speech, and cybercrime.
"We ask for your help. How can you become ambassadors for a better internet, a healthier internet?" he said at the Digital Crime Alert Community Gathering in Medan, North Sumatra, Saturday.
In a government press statement, he said that the government cannot work alone in protecting the digital space, considering that most internet usage activities are carried out personally in private spaces.
Therefore, he invited young people to become ambassadors for a healthy internet who play an active role in efforts to create a safe and ethical digital space.
Meutya stated that the digital space is currently increasingly filled with content containing insults, hatred, slander, and false information.
This condition, according to him, is inseparable from the way digital platform algorithms work, which tend to promote content that attracts the attention of more users.
"The internet is like a double-edged sword. It has many benefits, but it also has many negative impacts if not used wisely," said Meutya.
He said that besides bringing many benefits to society, the development of digital technology also presents risks.
He gave an example, dependence on social media can reduce the interest of the younger generation in organizing and interacting directly in society.
In fact, involvement in communities and organizations is important for building social awareness, critical thinking, and shared responsibility.
Meutya conveyed the importance of improving the public's digital literacy to reduce problems that can arise from the misuse of digital technology, including the spread of hoaxes and provocative narratives that can mislead the public.
Meutya alluded to the emergence of a narrative linking the disruption of Instagram platform services to government policy.
"It's not true that Instagram was shut down. The disruption occurred in many countries around the world, including the United States, Europe, and several ASEAN countries," he said.
He urged the public not to believe information circulating on social media platforms without first verifying it.
Also read: Minister of Communication and Digital urges the public to protect digital space when expressing their aspirations.
Senior Investigator of the National Narcotics Agency (BNN) of North Sumatra Province, Senior Commissioner of Police M. Fadris Sangun Ratu Lana, warned that digital technology is now also being utilized by drug trafficking networks to expand their operations.
"Young people are the main targets of drug dealers," he said.
According to him, the perpetrators utilize social media platforms, digital applications, and online gaming platforms to approach their targets.
Therefore, the BNN emphasizes the importance of parents supervising and accompanying children when accessing the internet.
The National Narcotics Agency (BNN) invites the public to apply the "Three Courages" principle, namely having the courage to refuse invitations to use drugs, having the courage to report if they know of drug abuse or distribution, and having the courage to undergo rehabilitation for victims of drug abuse.
