T

he National Police have said they will pin the label “Hoax” on unverified news circulating on the internet.

“We are looking at news and information circulating on social media in particular. After studying the [news or information], we will put a stamp on any content deemed unreliable,” National Police spokesperson Brig. Gen. Rikwanto told a discussion on Thursday.

Rikwanto said such a policy was risky and might generate protest. He said, however, that the police would be professional and fair.

“This move will hopefully help the public identify what information or news is trustworthy and what is not,” he emphasized.

He added that the police had recorded 2,600 cases of cybercrime so far, 400 of which were cases related to the production and distribution of fake news.

Previously, presidential chief of staff Teten Masduki said the government planned to meet with social media behemoth Facebook to discuss ways to curb the dissemination of hoaxes and false news in cyberspace.

The government has also been drafting a regulation that will enable the authorities to fine over-the-top (OTT) content providers, such as Facebook, that fail to retract false news from their newsfeeds within 24 hours.