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Indonesia Demands Social Media Firms Combat Disinformation Amid Protests

JAKARTA, Indonesia — Indonesia’s government summoned representatives from Meta Platforms Inc., TikTok, and other social media firms on Wednesday, demanding they enhance content moderation to combat the spread of disinformation fueling recent protests.
Deputy Communications Minister Angga Raka Prabowo stated that misinformation, particularly on TikTok and Instagram, has ignited public anger and led to protests against the government. The request aims to have these companies moderate or remove harmful content proactively, including materials related to pornography and online gambling.
“They must comply with the rules because our goal is to protect this country. Penalties could include reprimands, fines, temporary suspensions, revoking access, or even removal from the list of registered electronic platforms,” Prabowo told Reuters.
Separate meetings with TikTok and Meta are scheduled for later this week. The government will also extend invitations to Elon Musk’s X and YouTube Indonesia for participation in these discussions. The companies did not immediately comment.
Indonesia ranks among the countries with the most TikTok and Instagram accounts, each boasting over 100 million users. Prabowo mentioned instances of disinformation, including a deep fake video of Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati falsely claiming that teachers are a burden on the country.
Moreover, some misleading content has circulated, mislabeling archival footage of previous riots in Jakarta as current events. The Child Protection Commission revealed that some minors among the detained protesters joined the demonstrations after viewing TikTok videos that encouraged such actions.
The government’s crackdown comes amid rising tensions as citizens voice their dissatisfaction with the perceived excessive pay and benefits granted to parliament members.