KPU: Social Media Platform should Prevent Hoax and SARA Issues  

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The General Election Commission (KPU) member Wahyu Setiawan said social media platform owners should be responsible to prevent ethnic, religious, racial and societal group (SARA) issues as well as false or hoax news content prior to Regional Election 2018. "With SARA and hoax issue, voters will not have a clear view of vision and mission of the candidates," Wahyu said in Tempo Building, Jakarta on Saturday, March 3.

Wahyu assessed that social media has become a political instrument which leads to a negative impact on voters in understanding the candidates for regional election. "It's tearing our democracy," he said.

Wahyu stated the KPU has cooperated with Communications and Informatics Ministry (Kominfo) to block accounts containing SARA and false news. However, such social media accounts were kept growing more.

The social media platform owner should not stay on the principle that everyone has rights of freedom of opinion and expression. "They got big business, yet did not care what exactly happens. They must be responsible," said Wahyu.

Wahyu called on people and all parties to learn from previous Regional (Pilkada) and Presidential Election (Pemilu). He stated that social media has been used as a political instrument since 2012 Jakarta Regional Election. At that time, politicization is highly contained in social media by presenting the bad image of political opponents to form public opinion.

KPU and Election Supervisory Board (Bawaslu) have met with the management of social media platforms including Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and WhatsApp short message app. They have been committed to keeping social media out of SARA and hoax issues. "We'll see if they really hold the commitment," said Wahyu.

Riani Sanusi Putri