Algorithms Must Not Conquer Us: Why Indonesia Needs a Digital 'People’s Guardian'

Indonesia is moving rapidly into a digital society.

Information, business opportunities, social relationships and even health advice are now shaped by one dominant force: platform algorithms.

These algorithms do not ask whether content is accurate, safe, or socially responsible.

They are designed to maximize engagement.

They ask only one question:

Will this content attract attention and keep users on the platform?

This design choice may look neutral, but in reality it has serious consequences—especially for a country like Indonesia, where educational backgrounds, access to public services, and digital literacy levels vary widely.

Today, algorithms are not just distributing information.

They are shaping behaviour, beliefs, and decision-making at scale.

This is why Indonesia must begin to treat algorithms as a public interest issue.

Health misinformation shows us the danger clearly

Recently, social media in Indonesia has been filled with professionally designed posts claiming that ordinary household products can:

• fight cancer,
• detoxify the body,
• replace medical treatment, and
• • have been deliberately hidden by large pharmaceutical companies.

These posts are not created by doctors or public health institutions.

They are often generated for engagement, sales funnels, or traffic growth.

Yet they are amplified by algorithms because they trigger fear, anger, distrust, and curiosity.

For many Indonesians, especially in communities where access to reliable medical information is limited, such content is highly persuasive.

The risk is real:

• people delay seeking medical care,
• people experiment with unsafe practices,
• and public trust in health professionals and institutions is weakened.

Health overclaims are only one example.

The same algorithmic logic also accelerates:

• financial scams and false investment promises,
• social and political disinformation,
• and content that damages social cohesion.

The real problem is not the people

It would be wrong—and unfair—to blame Indonesian citizens for this situation.

The core problem lies in the design of digital platforms.

Algorithms are optimised to reward emotional intensity and virality.

Accuracy, social impact, and public safety are not part of the optimisation objective.

Education and digital literacy are necessary, but they are not enough.

We cannot expect citizens to continuously outpace:

• the speed of automated content production,
• the scale of algorithmic distribution,
• and the increasingly sophisticated presentation of misleading information.

This is a structural challenge, not an individual one.

Indonesia needs a “People’s Guardian” for the digital space

Indonesia should establish a national self-regulatory mechanism for digital platforms—built by the industry, but empowered by public authority.

I propose the creation of a platform association–led self-regulatory body that is:

• operationally independent,
• professionally governed, and
• legally recognised through a Ministerial Decree.

This body would act as a People’s Guardian for Indonesia’s digital ecosystem.

Its role would not be to control opinions or silence debate.

Its mandate would be focused on high-risk content categories with real-world consequences, such as:

• health and medical claims,
• financial and investment claims,
• public safety and emergency information,
• and electoral or civic integrity.

What this guardian should do

First, it should establish common standards among platforms for identifying and responding to harmful overclaims and deceptive practices.

Second, it should operate a rapid escalation mechanism for viral, high-risk content—so that platforms can respond within clear timeframes, not after damage has already occurred.

Third, it should be supported by an independent expert panel drawn from medical associations, public health institutions, consumer protection bodies, financial regulators, academia and civil society.

Fourth, it should publish transparent and auditable reports on platform responses, enforcement consistency and systemic risks.

Fifth, it should enable trusted flaggers—such as hospitals, professional associations and recognised public institutions—to report urgent harmful content directly.

Finally, it should promote friction-based safeguards for high-risk viral content, such as warnings, reduced shareability and redirection to verified sources.

Why legal recognition matters

This mechanism must be self-regulatory in daily operation.

However, it must be legally empowered.

A Ministerial Decree would provide:

• clear mandate,
• consistent national standards,
• participation obligations for major platforms,
• and cross-sector coordination with health, consumer protection and digital authorities.

This approach balances innovation with responsibility.

Industry leads the mechanism.

Government provides the legal framework.

Independent experts safeguard integrity.

The goal is not censorship. The goal is protection.

Indonesia’s digital economy, MSMEs, and creative industries depend on trust.

If we allow algorithms to operate without public-interest safeguards, we risk allowing digital infrastructure to quietly undermine health outcomes, social trust and institutional credibility.

The algorithm has become a silent policy actor.

It shapes what our citizens see, believe and act upon—every day.

Indonesia must now recognise this reality and build a guardian that protects its people, without suppressing innovation.

This is not about fear of technology.

It is about responsible governance in the age of algorithms.