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UNESCO empowers Indonesian government representatives to combat election-related harmful content
On 5-6 March 2024, 18 participants from seven Indonesian government entities attended the event organized by the Indonesian Anti-Defamation Society (MAFINDO), a member of the Damai Coalition, in Bogor. The training was timely, as Indonesia reflects on the recent Presidential Election held in February 2024, while preparing for the General Head Election.
Participants dug into the complex problems of the digital world in times of elections. Guided by experts, they explored the latest trends, tools, and essential strategies for safeguarding freedom of expression while tackling the massive circulation of hate speech. Delving into cutting-edge election-related monitoring mechanisms, they gained invaluable insights into detecting and combatting disinformation and hate speech, while upholding international human rights standards.
Data, policy, and legal analysts participated in the event, along with expert staff from diverse government groups such as the Security Intelligence Unit of the Greater Jakarta Metropolitan Regional Police, the General Election Commission, the Ministry of Communication and Information Technology, the Ministry of Law and Human Rights, the Ministry of Home Affairs, the National Cyber and Crypto Agency, and the People鈥檚 Representative Council of the Republic of Indonesia.
While access to information and ways of expression have been transformed with the rise of social media worldwide, and particularly in Indonesia where 70% of the population have Facebook accounts, global tech companies, primarily based in Western countries, often neglect non-English markets in content moderation efforts.
While social media offers unprecedented freedom of expression, it also facilitates a widespread circulation of hate speech and disinformation linked to real-world violence and societal divisions. Content moderation is crucial in addressing this issue, but it presents a regulatory challenge for governments worldwide, to determine harmful content while upholding freedom of expression. The Damai Coalition with its 12 independent NGOs is a real asset for online platforms and the Government, as it brings a vast network and expertise in content moderation adapted to the complexity and specificity of local contexts.
Content moderation becomes even more challenging during elections, as the spread of misinformation can significantly impact democratic processes. The Damai Coalition was established on 17 February 2023 to build long-term public-private partnerships in Indonesia and stakeholder communication, to ensure accurate and trustworthy digital information
The training fostered knowledge-sharing among representatives from diverse backgrounds. By pooling their expertise and experiences, participants forged powerful networks to tackle harmful content collaboratively.
Indonesia does not have a comprehensive law on hoaxes and hate speech yet. It also needs an institution to monitor it, improved coordination between government institutions and investment in digital literacy for the population. I hope that training activities will continue, fostering adapted regulations, relevant institutions, and solid cooperation to create a peaceful public space online, free from hoaxes and hate speech!
UNESCO鈥檚 Guidelines for the Governance of Digital Platforms are a new global instrument on content moderation. It is very useful in the field of legislative design and evaluation, as we can learn from the experience of other countries, which have developed effective tools for countering disinformation, such as the EU Code of Practice on Disinformation.
Part of UNESCO鈥檚 Social Media 4 Peace project funded by the European Union, the training equipped government representatives with innovative techniques to identify and counter election-related disinformation and hate speech. It inspired a multi-stakeholder approach to combat disinformation and hate speech on digital media effectively, while ensuring freedom of expression, a fundamental human right.
