The popular social media platform Facebook announced its cooperation with PT Indosat Tbk (IDX:ISAT) to provide free internet access to Indonesian internet users through the internet.org. The internet.org is a Facebook-led initiative, bringing together technology leaders, non-profit, and local communities to connect the two thirds of the world that do not have access to the internet. [Continue reading]
Path and Politics of Memes
NewsroomWe’ve often focused on Twitter and Facebook when discussing the relevance of social media and the 2014 presidential election. Today we’d like to look into what is going on in Path, a private social networking and photo sharing application that has grown very popular among Indonesian internet users.[continue reading]
Indonesian candidates add social media to campaign arsenals
Khabar Southeast AsiaIndonesian candidates add social media to campaign arsenals
Yosita Nirbhaya
![The Institute for Policy Research and Advocacy's (Elsam) Wahyudi Djafar speaks at the "Challenges to Freedom of Expression in the Online World" forum in Jakarta on January 21st. [Yosita Nirbhaya/Khabar]](https://oktofani.files.wordpress.com/2014/02/img_8259-copy.jpg)
The Institute for Policy Research and Advocacy’s (Elsam) Wahyudi Djafar speaks at the “Challenges to Freedom of Expression in the Online World” forum in Jakarta on January 21st. [Yosita Nirbhaya/Khabar]
Politicians running in the 2014 Indonesian elections are not relying solely on traditional campaigning to win votes.
Hopefuls in the legislative and presidential races are going online and reaching out to Indonesia’s huge social media audience, using Twitter, Facebook and YouTube to spread their messages.
One voter who has been getting to know the candidates via social media, is university student Abimata Putra, 23.
“I think knowing the character and the profile of political candidates is very important. They will make decisions and regulations for society, including for me,” he told Khabar Southeast Asia.
Among Twitter-savvy candidates are Prabowo Subianto, presidential contender from the Great Indonesia Movement Party (Gerindra) and Wiranto, one of his rivals in the July 9th election, who represents the People’s Conscience Party (Hanura). Respectively, the two use “@prabowo08” and “@wiranto1947” as Twitter handles.
Gerindra’s account has more than 147,000 followers, according to Setyoko, a member of the party’s online media team. He created the account to interact with supporters, he told Khabar.
“Social media gives politicians and political parties a chance to have a direct interaction with constituents,” said Wahyudi Djafar, a representative of the Institute for Policy Research and Advocacy (Elsam).”They must pay attention to the use of social media, and where it should reflect the principles of democracy.”
Indonesia’s online boom
Politicians and their parties are trying to reach voters via the Internet and mobile phone-driven social media networks exploding in Indonesia.
According to the Indonesian Association of Internet Service Providers (APJII), 62 million Indonesians – nearly a quarter of the total population – used the Internet regularly in 2013.
And according to January 2014 statistics from wearesocial.net, 62 million are social media users– 52 million of whom rely on mobile phones to access social media networks.
Although Indonesia ranks among the top five countries for social media penetration, according to government data, Internet use is less evenly distributed across the archipelago.
The Ministry of Communication and Information Technology says that 70% of Internet users are concentrated on Java, mostly in the Jakarta area.
Young people and members of the country’s middle class are primary users of social media, activist Enda Nasution told Khabar. Twitter, Facebook and other networks allow Indonesians to express themselves and also obtain free access to online information, Enda said.
Indonesian police savvy about social media
Khabar Southeast AsiaIndonesian police savvy about social media
![About 100 people attended the event, which brought together police, civil society and social media. Their collaboration is important in the face of growing cyber-crime [2013: Oktofani]](https://oktofani.files.wordpress.com/2013/05/dsc06231.jpg)
About 100 people attended the event, which brought together police, civil society and social media. Their collaboration is important in the face of growing cyber-crime [2013: Oktofani]
Indonesian law enforcement personnel are using social media to interact with citizens, and are also monitoring the use of online communication tools by criminal elements.
On May 16th, police hosted a Facebookers’ Meeting for followers of the National Police Facebook page, at the National Police Headquarters in Jakarta. The three-hour event was attended by approximately 100 people from various places including Jakarta, Bandung, and Jambi, Sumatra.
Launched in 2010, the National Police Facebook page has attracted more than 86,000 followers. The page contains important information for citizens: how to renew a vehicle registration, traffic conditions, traffic violations fine list, and the news on law enforcement operations.
Police are hoping to use social media to help citizens protect themselves amid an alarming growth of crime in cyberspace, officials said.
“We have been well aware that many criminals have been taking advantage of technological advances, including the growth of social media,” National Police spokesman Boy Rafli Amar told the gathering.
“It is very concerning for us because there are many crimes occurring and starting in cyberspace,” he added.
“A young girl was kidnapped by her boyfriend that she met on Facebook. Another example of cyber-crime is an online shopping fraud,” he said.
Some people use Facebook specifically to commit crimes, he warned. “Therefore, it is very important for us to anticipate it together,” Boy said. “By establishing regular communication with civil society on social networks, we hope that we can minimise the number of criminal victims.”
Indonesian police receive at least 800,000 reports of cyber-crime annually, according to The Jakarta Globe, which cited Sutarman, chief of detectives for the National Police.
“Cyber-crimes are often related to other crimes like terrorism funding and communication between terrorism suspects. And the intensity of the cyber criminals is also alarming,” The Globe quoted him as saying.
Raising awareness
Police used the gathering to raise awareness of Law No 11 of 2008 on Electronic Information and Transactions, Law No 22 of 2009 on the Mechanism of Vehicle Registration Licence Issuance and Renewal, and a 2008 law on Transparency of Public Information.
Top officials from the Jakarta Police (Polda Metro Jaya), representing the Traffic Directorate, the Division of Professionalism and Security, and the General Crimes Directorate, also addressed the group and fielded questions.
The primary issue raised by participants was extortion, which they said was practiced by some police officers, including traffic officers.
“If there is an officer who abused their position, society should report it to us. We would take serious action against them,” Hari Harnowo, a top official from the Division of Professionalism and Security (Propam), said in response.
Finding solutions together
One participant said he appreciated the chance to interact directly with police.
“This is a very good event because it gives us a chance to have a direct two-way communications with police,” Surbaini, a 50 year-old participant from Jambi, told Khabar Southeast Asia.
“In my opinion, we do not come here to blame police for the wrong doing that the police did. But we gathered here to talk about the issue and find a solution together,” he said.
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