Police to Send Virtual Alert to People Making Hate Speech on Social Media

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The National Police Chief General Listyo Sigit said his side was developing an application to facilitate officers monitoring hate speech on social networking sites.

“So if there is hate speech on social media, the app will recognize it and immediately send a warning to the account owner,” said Listyo in an interview with Koran Tempo on Monday, February 22.

Listyo explained that he was mulling over the ways to send the alert; whether through public or private channels or direct messages. According to him, this would educate the public to not communicate recklessly on social platforms.

The former chief of the police’s criminal investigation unit said the app would be released soon, underlining there would not be a legal process as it was presented as an educational program.

For example, he reiterated, when people mocking each other on social media, the app would send a warning message to the person concerned. Listyo hoped this effort could minimize conflict.

In the early stages, police officers would manually monitor and give warnings if there was hate speech. Later, the police would use artificial intelligence. Listyo Sigit added that the program had been introduced to officers at the sectoral level. “I want all of those to be realized within 100 days of my leadership,” he said.

Also Read: Twitter Expands Hate Speech Rules to Include Race, Ethnicity

M ROSSENO AJI