How social media helps spread extremist content in Indonesia, and what’s being done about it
- Extremists and internet companies in Indonesia are engaged in a cat-and-mouse game to stop radical content spreading on social media
- While Facebook is improving its processes, its algorithm inadvertently recommends other radical links to users on extremist pages
Despite efforts to stem the tide of radicalism on social media in Indonesia, groups and individuals with extreme Islamist views continue to emerge on digital platforms, sowing seeds of intolerance and violence.
Groups and pages espousing extremism sprout up, find followers, and are deleted, only to reappear in a cat-and-mouse game with the government and internet companies trying to shut them out.
Social media users seeking such content do not have to try too hard if they are acquainted with keywords commonly used in the titles of extremist pages and groups.
The search function on Facebook, for example, identifies dozens of potential radical groups for users to connect with, recent research by the Post found.
Common keywords include “ghuroba”, meaning to feel alienated because of one’s adherence to “pure” Islamic teaching, and “tauhid”, referring to an Islamic concept of oneness with Allah.
Searches turn up pages and groups with names such as Generasi Ghuroba (Ghoruba Generation), Pemuda Ghuroba (Ghuroba Youth), Tauhid Harga Mati (Undisputed Monotheism) and Yuk Ngaji Tauhid (Let’s Study Tauhid).
