TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Head of the National Development Planning Agency Bambang Brodjonegoro, plans to utilize social media as one of state official's source of data. Data collected from social media will be included into a big data pool that will serve as social data to complement statistical data.

"We want Facebook or Twitter not to only act [as an entertainment source] and communication device, but also become a source for data that can be referred to in the process of policy making or government activities in general," Bambang said on Tuesday, February 21, 2017.

For example, Bambang said that social media conversation related to the current flooding in Jakarta can be used to establish a database. "There are many locations in Jakarta that are flooded. If we used statistical data, it would have been too late. By using social media, we are able to build a database that could be useful for today's activity," Bambang said.

According to Bambang, the Police could also benefit from information from social media, such as in handling traffic management. "By having social media, it does not only act as a tool to communicate, but it can also serve as a source for data. It's a revolution of data creation and data analysis," Bambang added said.

ANGELINA ANJAR SAWITRI