Central Java Police Calls YouTube Platforms The Most Hoax Content Found, People Asked To Be Alert

Head of Public Relations of the Central Java Police, Kombes Satake Bayu Setianto/ Photo; Doc. Central Java Police

Central Java Police asked the public to be careful of the large number of fake news or hoaxes. The public is advised to act wisely by conducting cross-checks and being critical of the news circulating, especially on social media pages.

"Being busy before sharing news with other people. Because people who participate in spreading hoaxes can be threatened with a myriad of articles, both the Criminal Code and the ITE Law," said Head of Public Relations of the Central Java Police, Kombes Satake Bayu Setianto, Tuesday, March 4.

The Head of Humas said that the spread of hoaxes increased rapidly at the end of 2023 and early 2024. The most content was related to the 2024 General Election.

"Based on data from Mafindo (NGO of the Indonesian anti-vility community), it is stated that the Youtube platform is the place where the most hoaxes are found, amounting to 44.6%, followed by Facebook (34.4%), Tiktok (9.3%), Twitter or X (8%), Whatsapp (1.5%), and Instagram (1.4%)," he explained.

However, continued the Head of Public Relations, hoax content containing other issues such as natural disasters to bank credit offerings, was also widely encountered.

He appealed to the public to immediately delete hoax content or report it to the police or the Ministry of Communication and Information. Strictly speaking, he also requested that hoax content not be spread so as to potentially harm others.

To prevent the circulation of hoaxes, the Head of Public Relations asked the public to be critical and consult other people regarding the circulation of certain content on social media.

"It's a good idea to join anti-hoax discussion groups so that they can add insight and updates on the latest information," he said

According to him, a number of steps can be taken by the public to identify whether a hoax content is hoax or not.

Like:

1. Identifying news sources whether it comes from leading news sites, official news agencies, or underrecognizable sites. Beware of websites with unusual domains or imitating official sites by adding minor changes to their domain names

2. Check the publication date: Check the publication date of the news, some hoaxes are deliberately distributed so that it goes viral again after several years have passed.

3. Examining a sensational title: If the news title sounds very sensational or encouraging, the public should consider looking for other sources who can confirm the news.

4. Verify the facts: Use trusted sources or fact-verification websites to check whether the news has been examined and confirmed the truth. 5. Check the suitability with the official source: If the news lists statements or actions from government officials or official organizations, it is necessary to check whether the claim is in accordance with the official statement from the source.

6. Check photos and videos: Check whether the photos or videos used in the news have been edited or edited in a way that can manipulate the context.

7. Evaluating the style of language: Please pay attention to the language used in the news. Hoaxes often use excessive words, excessive emotions, or claims that are not supportive of concrete evidence

8. Paying attention to common characteristics: Hoaxes often have common characteristics such as links to suspicious websites, spelling and poor grammar, or highly unreasonable claims.

9. Using common sense: It needs to be analyzed whether the content of the circulating content makes sense or is realistic. Otherwise, the truth needs to be questioned.