UNESCO Empowers Indonesian Wikipedia Administrators to Combat Disinformation and Hate Speech Ahead of 2024 Regional Elections

Jakarta, Indonesia - UNESCO, in partnership with Wikimedia Indonesia and the Wikimedia Foundation, has launched the first round of training sessions to combat harmful content online in alignment with international human rights standards. A group of 17 Wikipedia administrators from six cities across Indonesia received the first training in a three-day workshop held in Jakarta from 30 August to 1 September 2024.

This initiative comes in response to growing concerns around misinformation and disinformation, particularly as elections approach. UNESCO-commissioned Working Papershave revealed that 20% of 100 recent disinformation cases were related to election issues. The data indicates a significant rise in mis/disinformation issues, particularly during elections. In Indonesia, this global challenge is amplified by the country's diversity, which includes about 17,000 islands and 700 indigenous languages. This makes it harder to effectively monitor and address harmful online content created in local languages. The trainings thus seek to address this challenge by directly engaging Wikipedia Administrators, key content moderators on one of Indonesia's most widely used platforms.

Wikipedia administrators, experienced volunteers entrusted with maintaining the platforms' content, are responsible for making decisions about taking down content, responding to user requests, and editing articles produced by contributors from across the country. As the 2024 regional elections (Pilkada)coming up, their role is particularly significant as they help maintain the integrity and accuracy of information on the platform.

This training equipped Wikipedia Indonesia administrators with the necessary tools and strategies to uphold freedom of expression. Participants learned to identify and manage content that may be restricted under international human rights law, such as hate speech and disinformation. The training also included sessions on international fact-checking standards and open-intelligence tools to support verification.

Additionally, they were introduced to the recently launched UNESCO Global Guidelines for the Governance of Digital Platforms, which detail the duties and responsibilities of platforms, governments, and civil society for ensuring a safer and more democratic online environment. The training materials were delivered jointly by the UNESCO Jakarta Office staff and the Indonesian civil society, including representatives from Elsam, the Cek Fakta Coalition, and the Atmajaya University.

Moving forward, UNESCO is set to conduct a series of follow-up trainings for local Wikimedia communities, including artists and writers, across three regions in Indonesia. These sessions are scheduled for 12-13 October 2024 in Yogyakarta (Java), 26-27 October 2024 in Makassar (South Sulawesi), and 16-17 November 2024 in Medan (North Sumatra). The Wikimedia contributors are expected to replicate these trainings in their local languages. At the same time, the artists will be supported to create unique cultural performances highlighting the importance of combatting mis/disinformation and hate speech, while also upholding fundamental freedoms and fostering diversity and inclusion.

UNESCO's partnership with Wikimedia Indonesia is supported by the Wikimedia Foundation and the European Union through the Social Media 4 Peace project. This project aims to strengthen the resilience of societies to harmful content online, protect freedom of expression, and foster peace through digital technologies.