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Minister urges public to engage in antihoax efforts ahead of elections
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Hoax free — Residents take a selfie after participating in a campaign for the Indonesian Anti-Hoax Society on Jl. MH Thamrin, Central Jakarta, on Jan. 8. (Antara/Wahyu Putro A)
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gainst a backdrop of the rampant circulation of hoaxes, a minister has urged the public to engage more in antihoax movements, particularly ahead of elections, when false information is intentionally spread for political purposes.
“It’s a bit difficult [to curb the dissemination of false news] when political events, such as elections, are nearing. The cyber world is flooded with hoaxes,” Communications and Information Minister Rudiantara said on Thursday.
Members of the public, he said, could participate in tackling hoaxes by reporting any news that they suspected contained inaccurate or misleading information to turnbackhoax.id, a site designated with gathering reports of alleged hoaxes or falsified news.
“The problem doesn’t just end by blocking the sources. The public should be involved in our hoax eradication plan,” he said.
(Read also: Police to stamp "Hoax" on unreliable news online)
In its ongoing attempt to eradicate hoaxes, the government has blocked dozens of news portals deemed to contain harmful information. However, some democracy activists have questioned the move, saying shutting down the sites without undergoing legal steps in court might endanger freedom of expression. (evi)
