In an attempt to curb the dissemination of hoaxes and false news in cyberspace, the government will meet with social media behemoth Facebook to discuss the matter, a minister said.

“We will meet [Facebook] later this month. We will work together to clear the dirt on social media,” Communication and Information Minister Rudiantara said on Thursday on the sidelines of an event held by the Health Ministry in Jakarta. 

Presidential chief of staff Teten Masduki said on Tuesday that the government was drafting a regulation that would enable authorities to fine over-the-top (OTT) content providers, such as Facebook, that failed to retract hoaxes or false news from their newsfeeds within 24 hours. 

Commenting on it, Rudiantara said holding a direct meeting with Facebook’s representative was an important step, as the result of the meeting may enhance the government’s consideration in drafting or revising prevailing laws.

“It’s OK to prepare for it, but revising the Electronic Information and Transactions Law will take time. Hence, we invite Facebook to come and solve the problem here,” he said. (evi)