The Ministry of Communications and Informatics (MCI), in Indonesia’s capacity as ASEAN chair in 2023, invited ASEAN member states to jointly create a guideline for handling fake news or hoaxes in the region.
This was carried out because hoaxes also circulate in the communities of ASEAN countries.
"So far, the Ministry has compiled the Guideline for Combating Fake News and Disinformation. It is expected to serve as a guideline for ASEAN countries in fighting hoaxes,” said the MCI’s Director General of Public Information and Communications, Usman Kansong, on Thursday (6 April 2023) in Jakarta.
The guideline will generally provide the mechanisms of adaptive information management for issues that are developing in both the media and society in each country.
“Based on Indonesia’s experience in managing public communication on various issues, the steps outlined in the guideline can strengthen the capacity and capabilities of government officials in detecting and responding to fake news and disinformation in society,” said Usman.
The circulation of hoaxes, especially in Southeast Asia, often occurs during major events such as the COVID-19 pandemic or political years in each country. For example, the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) revealed that hoaxes were rampant during the COVID-19 pandemic in its report in 2021.
Furthermore, a journal entitled "Fake News and the Pandemic in Southeast Asia" by Robert Smith and Mark Perry reports that hoaxes in Southeast Asia also often spread during political years when general elections are held.
According to Usman, the Indonesian government has issued three initiatives to handle hoaxes through the MCI.
The first is addressing hoaxes at the source by increasing the capacity of human resources through digital literacy. “Hence, people can be wiser in analyzing the information they receive,” said Usman.
The second initiative is to collaborate with social media managers to strengthen monitoring and take action against those who spread false information on social media.
Usman explained that the final initiative is on the downstream side where the MCI collaborates with agencies and institutions, such as law enforcement agencies and other ministries to directly and technically handle cases related to hoax content.
The MCI initiated the creation of the guideline for combating and handling fake news due to the same background issues faced by ASEAN countries. This guideline will strengthen the member states to help each other in combating hoaxes more optimally.