Meutya Hafid invites youth to be ambassadors of healthy internet and clarifies that Instagram is closed
MEDAN - Minister of Communication and Information Technology (Menkomdigi) Meutya Hafid invites young people to take an active role as ambassadors of healthy internet. This step is considered crucial to create a safe, ethical, and free digital space from various forms of digital crime.
This was conveyed by the Minister of Communication and Information in the Digital Crime Awareness Community Gathering which took place in Medan on Saturday. According to him, the government cannot walk alone in overseeing the very wide cyber space.
"We ask for help. How do the younger siblings become ambassadors for a better internet, a healthier internet," said Meutya Hafid in front of community participants.
Urgency to Protect Private Space from Digital Crimes
Meutya explained that most of the current internet activities take place personally and in the private space of the community. Therefore, individual awareness and active public participation - especially the younger generation - are the main keys to curbing the spread of hoaxes and hate speech.
The development of digital technology is recognized as bringing many great benefits, ranging from access to education to the economy. However, he warned of a risk that is no less great if this technology is misused.
"The internet is like a double-edged sword. It has many benefits, but also many bad impacts if it is not used wisely," he said.
Current Challenges of Algorithms and Social Media:
Controversial Content: Current digital platform algorithms tend to encourage content that sparks debate because it attracts more user attention (engagement). Interest in Organizing Decreases: The high dependence on social media is feared to erode the interest of the younger generation to interact directly and actively in community organizations.Minister of Communication and Information Responds to Instagram Closure Issue
In the same forum, Minister of Communication and Information Meutya Hafid also clarified the skewed issue related to the Instagram service disruption that had occurred in a number of countries and triggered netizen panic. He emphasized that the obstacle was purely a global technical problem, not because of the blocking policy by the Indonesian government.
"It's not true that Instagram is closed. The disruption occurred in many countries in the world, including the United States, Europe, and a number of ASEAN countries," explained Meutya.
Closing his remarks, the Minister of Communication urged the public to always prioritize digital literacy. The public is asked not to swallow raw information on social media without verifying or checking facts first, so as not to be trapped by provocative narratives that are misleading.