Facebook Is the Social Media Platform with the Most Election-Related Misinformation

The Ministry of Communication and Informatics (Kominfo) found 526 hoax contents related to the general election on social media between January 19, 2022, and October 27, 2023.

Based on the platform, the spread of election-related hoax content was most prevalent on Facebook, with 455 instances.

"Our records show that the spread of hoaxes and disinformation related to the election is most commonly found on the Facebook platform managed by Meta," said Minister of Communication and Informatics Budi Arie Setiadi in a written statement on Friday (October 27, 2023).

Furthermore, many election-related hoax contents were also found on TikTok (25 instances).

This was followed by YouTube and Snack Video, each with 17 instances; Twitter with 11 instances; and Instagram with 1 instance.

According to Budi, this situation requires collective attention. The circulation of election-related hoaxes has the potential to degrade the quality of democracy and divide the nation.

"As a form of information disorder, the integrity of the election—which should be a democratic celebration—can be eroded, leading to distrust among citizens," Budi stated.

Of the 526 election-related hoax contents found by Kominfo, 378 have been submitted for access removal (take down).

Budi further mentioned that the circulating hoaxes on social media not only target presidential and vice-presidential candidates but also election organizers, such as the General Election Commission (KPU).

"It doesn't only target presidential and vice-presidential candidates. The hoaxes and disinformation we found also target the KPU's reputation and the election process to create distrust in our election," he revealed.

(Also read: Kemenkominfo Handles 3.76 Million Negative Contents, Ranging from Pornography to Online Gambling)