Indonesia: Military silences dissent with disinformation campaigns branding activists and journalists 'foreign agents'

Military-connected social media accounts target activists with disinformation

Online slurs precede intimidation and violent attacks against dissidents

Meta, TikTok, X and YouTube allow harmful content to spread rapidly

Coordinated disinformation campaigns portraying government critics as “foreign agents” are silencing dissent and fueling intimidation and violence under Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto, Amnesty International said in a new report published today.

‘Building up Imaginary Enemies’ reveals a growing pattern in which Indonesian authorities – including the military – deploy online disinformation to target journalists, activists, academics and protesters in retaliation for their legitimate activism and expression. Meanwhile, tech giants Meta, TikTok, X and YouTube have allowed harmful disinformation to remain online.