TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Legal Aid Institute for the Press (LBH Pers) on Monday, August 24, 2020, revealed that there are at least four online mass media that were targeted by hackers within a short period of time from each other.

"According to information we received, there are at least four mass media that became victims of hacking," said LBH Pers Director Ade Wahyudin in an online discussion with the Journalist Safety Committee Against Hacking on Monday, August 24, 2020.

Wahyudin said that the two mass media that were attacked by hackers were Tempo.co and Tirto.id. Tempo.co was hacked on Friday, August 22, 2020, where hackers managed to deface the website's front page.

Meanwhile, the hack against Tirto.id was known lately after two of its articles criticizing the Covid-19 cure developed by state intelligence (BIN), and the armed forces TNI had suddenly disappeared. The hacking attempt took place between August 19 to 20, 2020.

LBH Pers also received reports about other digital media outlets that were hacked but are yet to make a public announcement. Wahyudin said that kompas.com was also hacked and had one of its articles erased from its website on August 23, 2020.

The kompas.com article reported about the hacking against the Twitter account owned by UI Epidemiologist Pandu Riono. The media's editorial in chief Wisnu Nugroho, said that his team is still "investigating the issue."

LBH Pers said that the series of hacks had one common aspect, which is the news about the Covid-19 cure that is developed by state intelligence, TNI, and the Airlangga University. The hacking also changed or erased the content of the news. Wahyudin also called for other mass media experiencing the same issue to come forward.

LBH Pers calls for the Indonesian government to take action against the massive-scale hacking against online news outlets.

M ROSSENO AJI