Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal, and Security Affairs Mahfud MD and Australian Minister of Cybersecurity Clare O'Neil at the 9th Australia-Indonesia Ministerial Council Meeting (MCM) in Melbourne, Australia, on Tuesday, March 14, 2023. (Photo: antaranews.com) Minister Mahfud was quotedas saying at the 9th Australia-Indonesia Ministerial Council Meeting (MCM) in Melbourne, Australia, that based on the high level of interestof the two countries in this issue, hebelieves Indonesia and Australiacan promote cooperation and establish a practical programme, similar to what Indonesia has donewith ASEAN countries.
Minister Mahfud affirmed that the Indonesian government is making all-out effort to minimize the impact offake news and hostile statements on social media platforms and messages inorder to prevent conflicts and violence. He added that the Indonesiangovernment has implemented many measures to combat fake news, such as enforcingthe law, strengthening its presence on digital platform services, andincreasing public awareness to recognize and prevent it.
Theminister also emphasized the importance of pushing for multi-partycooperation to enhance the ability to address the threats posed bymisinformation and fake news.
Accordingto Mahfud, as part of its chairmanship of the Association of SoutheastAsian Nations (ASEAN) in 2023, Indonesia has proposed to the ASEAN Secretariata draft guideline on combating fake news and misinformation for governmentagencies, which he said couldbecome a reference material for ASEAN member states in developing their ownguidelines or strategies to address the issue of fake news and misinformationin their countries.
O'Neil shared that fake news andmisinformation have also become matters of concern in Australia. Bothcountries have committed to addressing the issue by enhancing bilateralcooperation as well as sharing good practices and experiences./.
VNA
