General elections (Pemilu) are important moments in democracy, where citizens have the right to choose their leaders. Free and fair elections are the foundation of a healthy democratic system. However, in this digital era, technology has brought new challenges in the form of deepfakes.
Deepfake is a technology that allows creating fake videos by replacing a person’s face and voice in a very realistic way. This has become a serious threat to the integrity of the election and requires greater vigilance from all parties ahead of the 2024 elections.
Armed with deepfake technology, someone can change another person’s face, voice or body movements easily and quickly. An example is a video of President Jokowi giving a speech in Mandarin, which went viral on social media from Twitter, TikTok to Facebook. The popularity of this phenomenon on various social media platforms has the potential to deceive anyone, especially ahead of the 2024 General Election.
Responding to this, Chairman of the Indonesian People’s Consultative Assembly Bambang Soesatyo said that this deepfake phenomenon has the potential to have a negative impact on democracy and election integrity. Deepfakes can be used to manipulate public opinion, damage a candidate’s reputation, or create social conflict.
With the many negative impacts caused by deepfakes, it is necessary for all parties to play a role in overcoming the spread of deepfakes which have an impact on the spread of hoax news which can harm many parties.
The main role of political parties has a big responsibility in maintaining the integrity of elections. They must ensure that their campaigns are run fairly and honestly, and commit to not using deepfakes or fake content in their campaigns. Parties can also promote digital media literacy among their members and support initiatives to detect deepfakes
The media and journalists also have an important role to play in fighting deepfakes. They must commit to investigating and checking the veracity of the news and videos circulating ahead of the election. The media must fulfill their role as guardians of the truth and educate their audiences about the threat of deepfakes.
Regarding the spread of deepfakes, the Director General of Information and Public Communication at the Ministry of Communication and Informatics, Usman Kansong, reminded us of the need to anticipate the deceptive deepfake phenomenon. Especially ahead of the 2024 General Election. AI must be anticipated so that it is not used for bad or detrimental purposes. This condition should be a warning to all parties facing the 2024 elections.
To respond to these various challenges, the Ministry under Minister Budi Arie Setiadi is taking a series of anticipatory steps. Among other things, collaborating with digital platforms, one of which is signing a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with TikTok to realize the 2024 Peaceful Election campaign.
TikTok Indonesia’s Head of Communications, Anggini Setiawan, said TikTok will continue to adapt to AI-made products (one of which is deepfake) which are currently increasingly sophisticated by launching a new tool to help content creators label content made by AI (generative AI). However, not all deepfake content will be taken down, as long as it does not violate community guidelines.
Apart from that, in order to realize elections that are free from the spread of deepfakes, civil society organizations and election monitoring institutions also have a role in maintaining the integrity of the elections. They can carry out strict monitoring of campaigns and elections, as well as check the veracity of videos and information circulating. This party must act as an independent observer who helps maintain free and fair elections.
Deepfakes have become a serious threat that must be faced in the election context. His ability to create highly convincing fake videos could undermine the integrity of the election and the political process as a whole.
This is because deepfakes can be used to spread false information or fake videos that deceive voters. This can cause voters to make wrong decisions that are not based on actual facts. This would threaten the integrity of the election and affect the fairness of the results
With that said, increasing public education and awareness about deepfakes is critical. The public must be educated on how to identify deepfakes and avoid spreading false information.
Free and fair elections depend on public trust. The rise of deepfakes can undermine voters’ trust in the election process and make them doubt the results. This can disrupt political stability and the government’s ability to function effectively.
In an era where information can be easily manipulated, being aware of deepfakes is an important task for all stakeholders. With good cooperation between political parties, media, government, civil society organizations and society in general, we can maintain the integrity of the 2024 Election.
