The internet has created a reality in contemporary life that seems inseparable from humanity, transforming the concepts of distance and time into something limitless. Through the internet, people can engage in various activities that would be challenging in the physical world due to distance constraints, providing convenience and practicality in every endeavor.
The role of internet media has been instrumental in helping society meet its needs. Over time, social interaction media, such as social media, has become the primary means of communication in the virtual world. Social media and blogs are common forms of social media used by people worldwide.
However, it must be acknowledged that the internet and social media are not only utilized as tools for information dissemination and communication by the public. They can also serve as means for terrorists to spread radical propaganda and carry out terrorist acts that disrupt societal peace.
Government efforts to address terrorism threats have forced terrorists to be dynamic in changing their strategies. Radicalization, initially conducted through face-to-face meetings and offline physical contact, has now shifted to the use of internet technology.
In the current political context, the role of the internet and social media is significant and often exploited as tools for propaganda and the dissemination of terrorist ideologies through political misinformation. This situation is highly dangerous and can impact national security stability. Society can be provoked and even fall deeper into radical ideologies as a result of this influence.
Political Manipulation and Radicalism
Internet abuse is on the rise, particularly through the spread of political propaganda and misinformation, given the intense political period we are currently experiencing. Irfan Idris, Director of Prevention at the National Counterterrorism Agency (BNPT), states that radical content on social media has three main characteristics: promoting puritanism, expressing antipathy toward the state system, and advocating intolerance.
An example is the Instagram account @wienamakhanza, a follower of the Salafi account @onewaymuslim. This account posted a black and white photo of Vice Presidential candidate Mahfud MD with the caption, “New Criminal Code does not prohibit LGBT, Mahfud: It’s nature, cannot be prohibited.” Similar posts were also circulated through various WhatsApp and Telegram groups owned by terrorist organizations.
Furthermore, another narrative highlights presidential candidate Anies Bawedan, featuring edited snippets of past interviews to emphasize discussions related to caliphate. There are also posts claiming that Ganjar Pranowo admitted to enjoying watching pornographic films since childhood, with a photo showing him at a well-known artist’s podcast event. All of these contribute to creating an online environment vulnerable to information manipulation and extremist influence.
Jamaah Islamiyah appears to be more open in spreading memes on their social media, but it should be noted that the majority of their content is the result of radical groups. The general public often becomes victims of misinformation and disinformation related to the content disseminated by these groups.
While terrorist groups affiliated with the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) consistently reject direct involvement in politics, they still seek to use elections to support their political agenda in establishing a caliphate. Their strategy involves social media provocations with the potential for violence and attack planning.
Therefore, although it is unlikely that ISIS-affiliated groups will directly vote for or sympathize with specific presidential and vice-presidential candidates, their main goal is to provoke and manipulate public opinion to create chaos through both vertical and horizontal conflicts.
Addressing Propaganda in the Digital Era
Currently, the national situation and terrorism dynamics demand a more comprehensive legal framework. The definition of terrorism should not only cover terrorist attacks and funding but also encompass propaganda and terrorist recruitment, which have a significant impact on the growth of terrorist organizations.
Terrorist propaganda can involve spreading hatred, promoting violent actions, and supporting radicalization, incitement, and violent acts. To address this, there is a need for strengthening legal provisions related to the spread of hatred, as regulated in Article 28 paragraph (2) of Law Number 11 of 2008 concerning Electronic Information and Transactions. However, it should be acknowledged that the implementation of the Electronic Information and Transactions Law as a specific regulation has a different scope of rules.
In this context, considerations should be made to develop a more comprehensive regulation to respond to the increasingly complex dynamics of terrorism, including handling propaganda and terrorist recruitment in the rapidly evolving digital information era. This will ensure the existence of adequate and effective legal measures to address various aspects of evolving terrorism.
Regarding the detention period for investigative purposes, it should be noted that this does not have binding legal force, especially since it involves wiretapping activities considered sensitive and could be a restriction on Human Rights (HAM). Therefore, clear regulations regarding the legality of wiretapping are needed in accordance with the provisions of the 1945 Constitution to ensure the use of this authority aligns with applicable legal principles.
In the effort to prevent the spread of terrorism ideology propaganda through the internet, one step that can be taken is blocking websites containing terrorist propaganda elements. The use of counter-narrative dissemination tools through websites and media platforms can also be implemented by promoting content indicating indications of radicalism as a counter-propaganda and counter-radicalism effort.
These measures can help maintain a balance between national security and human rights protection while providing an effective response to the spread of terrorist ideologies in the current digital era. They need to be carried out carefully and proportionally to ensure that actions align with democratic values and human rights.
Conclusion
The current use of the internet has become a widely exploited means of spreading propaganda to misinformation that can lead to the dissemination of radical ideologies by terrorist groups. This situation is escalating further with the abundance of political information leading up to the 2024 elections in Indonesia, where media becomes the primary access for deceptive efforts and the spread of radical ideologies.
This development continues because regulations and law enforcement in Indonesia currently focus more on addressing terrorist attacks and financing. There are gaps related to the use of the internet by radical or terrorist groups, especially in the context of propaganda and recruitment. To date, those responsible for propaganda and the dissemination of radical ideologies have not been fully held accountable under existing terrorism laws.
To overcome this challenge, effective measures are needed to counter the spread of propaganda through collaboration between the government and society. This needs to be done by focusing on technical constraints in addressing the use of the internet for terrorist purposes. This joint effort can create a safer online environment and prevent the spread of radical ideologies through digital media.
Additionally, it is important to involve elements of society, such as community and religious leaders, to play an active role in preventing propaganda leading to misinformation in society.
One approach to involve them is by providing an understanding of Indonesian national ideology and a deep understanding of religion in a positive light. This way, communities in their environment can comprehend positive values and remain unaffected by propaganda and the spread of terrorist ideologies leading up to the upcoming 2024 elections next month.
The active role of community and religious leaders can be a crucial pillar in building correct understanding, promoting peace, and combating negative influences that may result from harmful propaganda affecting society and the integrity of the nation.