TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Ismail Fahmi - founder of Drone Emprit and Media Kernels Indonesia, in an online seminar on Thursday, said the role of "buzzers" in the political and general terms has transformed into a profession. He believed this mostly is the automation of the algorithm.

In the seminar held by the Muhammadiyah Institute of Wisdom and Public Policy (LHKP), Fahmi defined the buzzer as cyber troops, which utilize computational propaganda through bots, algorithm, or automation to manipulate public opinion on social media such as Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and Youtube.

“A plethora of these bots are used by political actors,” he said.

He argued “cyber troops” are the variety of internet communities controlled by governments, military, political parties, and major industries. They have their own structure that have “influencers, buzzers, and teams of fans to amplify followers,” he added.

Fahmi asserted that dangers posed by such online activities do not stop in public opinion manipulation. It could also be used by one side with nefarious reasons against their opponent, such as trolling, spreading black campaigns, and intentionally polarizing the internet-sphere.

In Indonesia's case, Fahmi noted the hidden nature of how buzzers work, which he said, "[They] hide behind names and hide behind a pattern.” He said there needs to be more research to expose this type of activity and educate the public about the manipulative strategies adopted by buzzers.

“We should show the public that they are attacked by certain buzzers. We should tell them which news are hoaxes and such,” said the Drone Emprit founder.

Read: Drone Emprit: Twitter Users Tend to Compare Handling of Omnibus vs Covid-19

SRI RAHMAWATI (INTERN)