The Ministry of Communication and Digital Affairs has asked the public to be wary of hoaxes ahead of the Indonesian Independence Day celebrations

 

  The Ministry of Communication and Digital  has urged the public to be wary of the widespread circulation of hoax content on digital platforms ahead of the Republic of Indonesia's Independence Day celebrations.

Minister of Communication and Digital Meutya Hafid stated at the Ministry of Communication and Digital's office in Central Jakarta on Monday that hoax-filled content produced to provoke the public is circulating on digital platforms ahead of the Independence Day celebrations.

"We have observed as August approaches, especially in the lead-up to our Independence Day, that a great deal of hoax content is being produced to provoke the current positive situation," he said.

"So, what we need to pay attention to is that friends have to watch the video," he added.

Meutya said that hoax content that has the potential to divide the nation comes in various forms, including hoax content created by creators themselves and hoax content made using old videos.

Among the circulating hoax-filled content, he said, are content that combines facts with false narratives and content that consists of a series of old videos with false descriptions.

"There's another form of hoax that combines events in other countries, then makes it seem as if they occurred in Indonesia," said Meutya.

He believes that the hoax content currently circulating could cause anxiety and fear among members of the general public who are less careful in receiving and responding to information from digital platforms.

"I think this is inappropriate, untrue, violates democratic values, and truly does not reflect our spirit as a nation of mutual cooperation, especially as we celebrate our Independence Day," he said.

Meutya hopes that the Indonesian mass media will help combat hoax content by reporting on the actual conditions occurring in various regions.

The presence of accurate, balanced, and verified news is expected to prevent the circulation of hoaxes that cause public unrest ahead of the celebration of the 81st anniversary of the Republic of Indonesia.