Breaking SARA Content, 200 Medsos Accounts Have Received Reprimands From Virtual Police

Luxuries (Raga Granada/VOI)

JAKARTA - Police Chief General Listyo Sigit Prabowo has activated virtual police or cyber police. Since its activation, the virtual police have sent out more than 200 alerts to social media accounts (medsos) suspected of disseminating tribal, racial, religious, and intergovernmental (SARA) information.

"From February 23 to April 12, 2021, there were 329 complaints. But only 200 content are suspected of containing hate speech," said Director of Cyber Crime Brigadier General Slamet Uliandi in a statement, Thursday, April 15.

While 91 content did not meet verification so it was not followed up, and the remaining 38 content are still in the verification process. According to Slamet, content containing sara element is most widely found on Twitter and Facebook.

"Following Facebook with 112 content. Instagram with 13 content. YouTube with 8 content, and WhatsApp with 1 content," he added.

The virtual police work is to monitor activity on social media when there is a content upload that is considered to contain SARA. People who are reprimanded by the virtual police are asked to be cooperative by deleting posts or tweets that potentially violate the ITE Law.

The virtual police will also analyze the uploads or posts with experts, such as linguists, criminal experts, and ITE law experts to be asked for opinions. Later, if the upload or tweet has the potential to have a criminal act, the upload will be reported to the Directorate of Criminal Acts or Cyber Police.

Previously Kabareskrim Komjen Agus Andrianto ensured, virtual police will not be arbitrary in reprimanding social media users who violate the ITE Law. But it is expected that the public has the awareness to immediately remove the content.

"Denying their rights, but what is conveyed by members who are members of the virtual Police is certainly related to the content uploaded. Awareness (remove content) is expected. Not arguing in cyberspace," he concluded.