TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Facebook-owned messaging app WhatsApp, the Ministry of Communication and Informatics (Kominfo), and the Information and Communication Technology or ICT Watch launched a digital literacy campaign to fight the spread of disinformation while raising awareness of personal data protection.

The Kominfo Ministry’s Director General of Information Applications, Samuel A. Pangerapan, said the Covid-19 pandemic forces people to move their businesses and schools from offline to online.

“However, the acceleration of digitalization also affects privacy issues and personal data protection, as well as disinformation, including those related to Covid-19 and vaccinations,” said Samuel in a written statement, Wednesday, March 17.

Five main programs in the one-year-long campaign are the Roadshow of Digital Literacy Seminar & Workshop, Online Classes, the Covid-19 Anti-Hoax Youth Movement, and Video and Podcast Series. This year, the campaign started with the launching event of the 2021 Digital Literacy Roadshow which was held in Belitung, Bangka Belitung, today, March 17.

As many as 12 new cities will be visited during the roadshow. By the end of the third-year partnership, they targeted to visit 31 cities in the archipelago for the program.

“That said, digital knowledge and skills are highly necessary so that people can develop in this era. We hope that there will be more initiatives like these carried out by WhatsApp and ICT Watch in the future,” Samuel said.

Read: Govt Claims Digital Literacy Low, Solicits Mass Media Assistance

MOH KHORY ALFARIZI