As a nation, we have an opportunity to be the world`s initiator and not just a follower in the attempts to counter hoax."Jakarta (ANTARA News) - Facebook and other social media, which act not only as tech companies but also as media platforms, must provide a special tool to filter the spread of fake news, Chairman of Institute for Democracy through Science and Technology (IDST) Ilham Akbar Habibie noted.
"Systematically, there should be a methodology and process for a media platform or OTT (over the top) company like Facebook to develop its tool for filtering fake news or hoax," Habibie said in a discussion here on Tuesday.
According to him, the filtering tool will be more effective and helpful in minimizing the effect of false rumors on the social media, since currently, the movement against hoax is still carried out manually by some people who called themselves "hoax busters."
Considering the process to develop such a tool would be quite complex and time-consuming and would require professionalization by the software masters, he added.
"I imagine that one day there will be a filtering software run by an artificial intelligence (AI). It will actively seek for the news which has characteristics of hoax, for instance, to detect the manipulation on the images. But of course, this software is not easy to develop; thus, it will require perseverance and commitment from talented professionals," the first son of Indonesias third president BJ Habibie remarked.
Indonesia, where 80 percent of population is aged below 40, has actually a potential to create the filtering tool using its youths innovation and creative ideas.
Habibie was quite optimistic that the Indonesian youth had the skill and capability to develop innovation, technology, application as well as regulation and system to fight the spread of false news whose impact could be bigger than the conventional media.
"As a nation, we have an opportunity to be the worlds initiator and not just a follower in the attempts to counter hoax," he stated.
Currently, Facebook is in the process of testing out a fake news filtering tool in Germany, based on a request by the German government.
With the new system, German users of Facebook will be able to report a story as "fake," which will then be sent to some fact-checking organizations for further examination. If the fact-checkers find the story unreliable, it will be flagged as "disputed."
The similar approach was also introduced in the US last December, partnering with some news organizations and fact-checking groups, as the verifier for controversial stories.
Commenting on such improvements made by Facebook, Habibie said it was a necessity that people should respond and address many challenges in the era of digital world.
"In addition to the innovations, we also should make a rule, which is widely understood and consistently implemented, in the use of social media as we enter the digital era," he noted.
(T.Y013/Uu.INE/KR-BSR/B003)
Reporter: Yashinta Difa
Editor: Priyambodo RH
Copyright © ANTARA 2017
