The General Election Commission (KPU) Regulation Number 15 of 2023 is not yet effective in regulating campaigns on social media. The KPU is still regulating campaigns on social media similar to conventional campaigns. A revision for the KPU Regulation regarding campaigns on social media is needed, which understands the nature of social media and connected to its law enforcement.
"The existing regulations so far have not been specific enough to respond to the developments in social media. The current norms still govern it like a conventional campaign. For example, in a traditional campaign, if there are banners or flags, they can be taken down. But in social media, if something is taken down, there is still a trace," said Adinda Tenriangke Muchtar, the Executive Director of The Indonesian Institute, at Paramadina University in Jakarta on October 9th.
One of the provisions in PKPU 15/2023 is that election participants can conduct campaigns through social media. However, they are only allowed to have a maximum of 20 accounts for each type of application. According to Adinda, this provision has normative issues and cannot keep up with the developments in social media.
Furthermore, Adinda continued, the regulations that have been established are also too technical for something as dynamic as social media. She believes it's not just about the number of accounts but also about how to regulate and take action against violations.
She gave an example of accounts used for political campaigns, not limited to official accounts registered with the election organizers. What has been happening is that there are many bots that also spread unverified messages.
Adinda hopes that the issue of campaigns on social media shouldn't be solely left to the election organizers. It requires collaborative efforts involving various parties that are focused on media issues, elections, and democracy. Additionally, digital literacy is crucial for election participants, election organizers, and law enforcement officers. []
Translated by Catherine Natalia
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