Indonesia warns public against misleading old photos and videos

3 hours ago

Jakarta (ANTARA) – The Ministry of Communication and Digital has urged the public to carefully check photo and video content to avoid being misled by old content re-uploaded without proper timestamps.

Fifi Aleyda Yahya, the ministry’s Director General of Public Communication and Media stated that content without information of the location, time, source, and context has the potential to mislead, trigger misunderstandings, and also exacerbate the situation.

“People need to be more critical of any information they receive. Do not immediately believe or share photos or videos of demonstrations before verifying the time, location, and source,” she said in Jakarta on Sunday.

Fifi added that republishing old content without proper documentation can create misperceptions.

She emphasized that the government respects the public’s freedom to obtain and share information as guaranteed by law. However, it comes with a responsibility to ensure that the information disseminated is accurate and not misleading.

The Ministry warned that spreading of information that does not align with facts can trigger panic, increase polarization, as well as disrupt public order.

Therefore, the people are urged to conduct simple verification before sharing content, including checking the upload date, examining the source of information, and comparing it with reports from credible media outlets.

“The digital space must remain a healthy environment. Differences of opinion are natural in a democracy, but the spreading of incorrect information can actually harm the wider community,” she said.

“Therefore, let us work together to keep the digital space informative, peaceful, and responsible,” she remarked.

The Ministry monitors developments in digital space and strengthens collaboration with ministries, institutions, digital platforms, media outlets, fact-checking communities, and other relevant stakeholders in an effort to prevent the spread of harmful content and maintain digital security.

It also invites the public to play an active role in maintaining digital security by reporting harmful content through the official aduankonten.id channel.