By: Safira Tri Ningsih)*
The 2024 simultaneous regional elections are getting closer, and the community has a key role in maintaining social and political stability. The biggest challenge currently being faced is the rampant SARA issues and hoaxes that spread rapidly on social media.
For that, it is important for all of us, as part of society, to be more active in fighting false information that can divide. Only with collective awareness can we ensure that the Pilkada takes place peacefully and conducively. Do not let baseless issues influence our choices and damage national unity.
The government is not sitting idle. The Central Java Provincial Communication and Information Agency (Diskominfo) has collaborated with the Election Supervisory Agency (Bawaslu) to strengthen supervision of content in cyberspace that has the potential to trigger tension.
This collaboration is focused on efforts to prevent the spread of hoaxes and improve digital literacy in the community. This step is very strategic considering the simultaneous regional elections that will be held in 35 districts/cities in Central Java, including the election of governors and deputy governors.
The signing of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between Bawaslu and the Central Java Communication and Information Service is an important moment in strengthening the commitment of the two institutions.
The event, which took place at the Griya Persada Hotel, was attended by several important officials, including the Head of Central Java Communication and Information Office, Riena Retnaningrum, the Head of Central Java Bawaslu, Muhammad Amin, and the Head of the Indonesian Anti-Slander Society (Mafindo) NGO Office, Farid Zamroni. This signifies a serious step by the government to reduce the negative impact of the spread of hoaxes during the Pilkada process.
Riena emphasized the importance of this cooperation as a form of government presence in maintaining regional conduciveness during the Pilkada. With the collaboration of various parties, including Bawaslu, KPU, and other related parties, supervision of content on social media is expected to run optimally. Riena also highlighted the increasingly widespread penetration of information at various levels of society, which makes supervision and literacy very important.
At this point, we can see how digital literacy is key in overcoming the problem of hoaxes and SARA issues. If the public has a better understanding of how to filter information, then the potential for the spread of fake news can be suppressed.
The public is urged to be wiser in using social media, especially when receiving information that is not necessarily true. Using the right to vote intelligently is also part of this literacy. Don’t let us get caught up in issues that can damage the democratic atmosphere that should run healthily.
Muhammad Amin, Head of Bawaslu Central Java, also said that this cooperation will greatly assist election supervisory personnel in the regions to better understand the mechanism for handling hoaxes. Not only that, Bawaslu also plays a role in supervising campaigns and advertisements on social media which are often a hotbed for the spread of misleading information.
To date, there have been 14 reports related to alleged cyber violations that have been recommended to Bawaslu RI and Kemenkominfo for follow-up. The violations were committed by anonymous parties who often spread hoaxes without clear identities.
This shows that we still face major challenges in terms of information security in cyberspace. Hoaxes can emerge from anywhere, and are often difficult to track because the perpetrators use fake identities. However, with strong cooperation between the government and regulatory agencies, efforts to suppress the spread of hoaxes can be more coordinated and effective.
Furthermore, Mafindo, which is also involved in this collaboration, highlighted the role of artificial intelligence (AI) in producing hoaxes. According to Farid Zamroni, the use of AI technology allows hoaxes to be produced in much larger quantities than before. Data from the first semester of 2024 shows that the number of hoaxes circulating has exceeded the total hoaxes recorded in a full year in the previous year. This trend is certainly very worrying, considering that the regional elections will still take place until the end of the year.
Farid also warned that the number of hoaxes is predicted to increase in the months leading up to the regional elections. Although the situation in Central Java is currently relatively calm compared to other areas such as DKI Jakarta, the potential for a spike in hoaxes in Central Java must still be watched out for. The public must remain vigilant and not be easily provoked by information that is not necessarily true.
Collaboration between the government, supervisory institutions, and the community is key to facing this challenge. We cannot rely solely on the government to solve the hoax problem. Active participation from the community is needed so that the Pilkada can take place peacefully and fairly.
People should be aware that every information they share on social media has a big impact. If we can together reject the spread of false information, then the opportunity to maintain harmony during the Pilkada will be greater.
As part of society, you can start with simple things like verifying information before spreading it. The regional elections are an important moment for the future of our region and country. Don’t let hoaxes and SARA issues ruin this democratic party. Let’s work together to be the vanguard in fighting the spread of hoaxes and keeping the 2024 regional elections peaceful and conducive.
)* The author is a contributor to Daris Pustaka
