Spreading Hoax Information Is As Dangerous As Terrorism, Gede Narayana: Threatening The Country!

Chairman of the Indonesian Central Information Commission Gede Narayana (Photo: Screenshot of Indonesian Hindu Prajaniti)

JAKARTA - Chairman of the Indonesian Central Information Commission Gede Narayana said that in the current era of information disclosure, the public must be smart in choosing communication channels in order to get the truth of the news.

According to him, the development of digital technology, especially the internet, is very likely to be infiltrated by false sources or hoaxes. In fact, Gede said that the dangers of hoaxes could be quite a serious threat if not managed properly.

"Hoax information if left unchecked will be very dangerous, and this is as dangerous as terrorism and clearly threatens the country," he said at the Prajaniti National Dialogue on Saturday, July 10.

Gede added that his party has now found that the spread of fake news has led to acts of radicalism. For this reason, he said the government did not hesitate to use the applicable legal instruments to overcome this.

"Radicalism in the current era of information disclosure is clearly dangerous and detrimental to the state and society, the perpetrators must be dealt with firmly in accordance with applicable laws," he said.

Furthermore, Gede encourages all parties to ensure that the information submitted to the public must be accurate, true and not misleading.

"The abundance of information in the public sphere must be addressed in a wise manner by referring to regulations, positive logic, ethics and manners in accordance with the nation's culture," he said.

For information, the state currently has Law Number 11 of 2008 concerning Information and Electronic Transactions (UU ITE) as a regulatory cushion in providing a sense of security, justice, and legal certainty for users and providers of information technology.

As a legal product of state power, the ITE Law has a function as a means of state control over information systems and free electronic transactions.

"Therefore, let all the children of the nation fill the public space with information that is soothing, educate positively, increase knowledge, and don't make a destructive fuss on social media," concluded Gede.