The partnership would help the ministry differentiate between the types of campaigns that are allowed during the general elections and identify hoaxes since Bawaslu has the authority over this, he told ANTARA on Friday.
According to Kansong, there are three types of campaigns that usually emerge during a general election.
The first is a positive campaign that is usually utilized by politicians to showcase their programs and promises to the public and promote a positive image.
The second is a negative campaign, which is used to attack political opponents by revealing information that shows them in poor light and their negative side. For instance, disclosing if a competitor has been, at some point, involved in a corruption or legal case.
The last is a black campaign, which is used to attack political opponents with untrue information that is not based on facts.
Of these three types of campaigns, positive and negative campaigns are the ones that are allowed during the general election, he said, adding that action needs to be taken against black campaigns.
He argued that the black campaigns usually involve the spread of hoaxes, in order to prevent discord in society.
Given the different types of campaigns, the government must be careful and cooperate with Bawaslu, which can determine the campaigns that are allowed, he added.
If the ministry and Bawaslu detect a political hoax related to the general election, the content will be taken down or removed permanently from social medial or other online media so that it does not spread further among the public.
In addition to Bawaslu, to handle hoaxes, the ministry is cooperating with the police and the attorney general’s office to keep Indonesia's digital space safe for the biggest democracy event next year.
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Translator: Livia K, Fadhli Ruhman
Editor: Rahmad Nasution
Copyright © ANTARA 2023
