The Hoax as Terror Communication: Threats and
Society 5.0 positions humans at the center of technological modification and innovation for the benefit of humanity [9]. This is characterized by the integration of physical and virtual spaces based on big data technology collected by the Internet of things (IoT) [10].
The characteristics of Society 5.0 have a positive impact on the use of advanced technologies such as IT, IoT, robotics, artificial intelligence, and augmented reality in human life, health, and other fields, while Industry 4.0 limits technological progress only in the industrial sector [9]. Other characteristics are that it has an impact on traffic of information that are now moving and spreading faster. The term, with one "touch" on communication technology equipment, such as gadgets. Information moves in seconds to reach an unlimited audience. This condition becomes a fertile field for the spread of hoaxes.
One effort to countermeasure hoaxes is digital media literacy, initially understood as skills in reading with critical thinking. [11] In its development, it is defined as a dynamic training practice that not only counters negative messages but also empowers everyone to engage with the media as an active citizen [12]. The problem is, in this Society 5.0, based on the results of a survey conducted by the Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) released in 2019, Indonesia's literacy rate is ranked 62 out of 70 countries, or in the bottom 10 countries with lowest literacy levels. [13] With regard to hoaxes, the low level of digital media literacy in Indonesia is a challenge and threat in Society 5.0.
Discussion
The total population of Indonesia is currently around 271.34 million.[14] Based on Reportal Data until January 2021, Indonesia has 202.6 million internet users. This number increased by 27 million or 16% compared to the previous year. Meanwhile, internet penetration reached 73.7%. YouTube is still the most popular social media in the country. In the second place, WhatsApp was followed by Instagram in the third position. Instagram rose to third place because it succeeded in displacing Facebook to fourth position. The short video application TikTok and the messaging medium Telegram showed the most rapid increase in 2020. Meanwhile, social media from China such as WeChat or Sina Weibo are decreasing in popularity in the country. [15]
Regarding the percentage of social media use, it can be seen in Figure 1.
Embracing Society 5.0 with Humanity | 114 Figure 2. Hoax information
on opening of a church in Mecca Source: Kominfo
Figure 3. Hoax information on on Chinese Non-Muslims engage in
salat (Muslim prayer)Source:
Figure 1: Rank of Social Media Use Source : Digital 2021, Digital 2020, GWI
Throughout January 23, 2020 to July 18, 2021, 1,763 hoaxes on Covid-19 issues have been found which have spread to 3,817 social media posts, of which 3,356 posts have been taken down. These findings were followed up by law enforcement by the Indonesian National Police on 767 cases until July 15, 2021. [16] Throughout October 4, 2020 to July 18, 2021, 252 hoaxes on Covid-19 vaccine issues have been found in 1,850 social media posts, all of which have been handled or taken down. These hoaxes were regarding issues such as: 1) vaccines cause electromagnetic radiation waves, 2) misinformation alleging that vaccines cause death, and also 3) misinformation stating that the spread of the Delta variant of Covid-19 was caused by vaccination. [16]
Regarding the motive, based on the police investigation of the perpetrators of hoax spreaders, as revealed by the Head of the Public Relations Division of the National Police, Brigadier General (Pol) Argo Yuwono said, some of the motives of the perpetrators were, among others, for fun and due to feeling dissatisfied with the government [17]. Meanwhile, hoax content is quite diverse, ranging from trivial to political issues, such as attacking certain figures or spreading hatred against the government. The spread of hoaxes has also become an arena for religious-based contestation. For example, social media platforms such as YouTube and Facebook show a number of people running and attending prayers in the streets. Several video narrations claim that Chinese citizens (non-Muslims) attend the prayer for fear of contracting the Coronavirus.[18] On the other hand, a hoax appeared, in a post on social media with the narration "Praise God after the Covid-19 Virus. Many Muslims in Arabia have apostatized", the post is accompanied by a video with the title "Masha Allah opening of a church in Mecca". [18]
The Hoax as Terror Communication
The narratives presented in the hoax are full of manipulation, intimidation and provocation resulting in fear and anxiety. This communication model is the same as the practice of terrorism. The term terror is a new understanding because of the social impetus for the rise of the phenomenon of terrorism. [19] The terror communication approach (CT) describes terrorist acts as communication events. Namely, acts of terrorism bring up persuasive meanings and symbols to the audience that give rise to fear and anxiety. [20] For example, the case of a suicide bombing in front of the Makassar Cathedral Church and the attack on the National Police Headquarters. These acts of terror create rhetorical actions, such as labels, symbols, and definitions. [21] Every act of terror gives a label of damage and loss of life. While symbols state that acts of terror are a form of violence. Thus, as defined, terror is an act carried out with violence and destruction and requires sacrifice to achieve the goal. In an act of terror there are 2 things to be communicated, namely mediatization and ritualization. Mediatization refers to coercive efforts for media coverage of acts of terror, while ritualization is the will to demonstrate the sacred or holy purpose of the act. [6]
Likewise, the spread of hoaxes is a communication event. This is related to the elements of "Who, says what, through which channel, to whom, with what effect". In hoaxes, it is certain that there are actors behind the spread as planners who produce hoaxes with a specific purpose and expect an influence from the spread of the hoax. Through
manipulative messages that are designed in such a way with labels, symbols and definitions by forming meaning in binary oppositions:
one side is described as positive, while the other side is described as negative. For example, the hoaxes in Figures 2 and 3 explain the contestation of religious beliefs between Islam and Christianity. In Figure 2, Christianity has been accepted in Saudi Arabia which is a Muslim country. This hoax gives meaning, Christianity as positive, while Islam as negative. Likewise, the hoax in Figure 3, Islam as positive and China as a Communist country is labeled as negative.
Society 5.0 guarantees the freedom to use social media platforms and gives everyone the opportunity to produce and spread messages. The manipulative characteristics of hoaxes with message content that always propagate hatred and division will cause fear and anxiety. This kind of practice makes hoaxes a form of terror communication and becomes a threat to Society 5.0.
Legal Action
Society 5.0 is an information society built on society 4.0, aiming to create a prosperous, human-centered society that is integrated in a virtual space. [22] This fact makes fake news or hoaxes a real threat that disrupts the sustainability of the community in Society 5.0. There are several actions taken by the government and non-government institutions in preventing the spread of hoaxes. The government agencies that carry out the anti-hoax movement are the Ministry of Communication and Information (Kominfo), the Coordinating Ministry for Political, Legal and Security Affairs (Menkopolhukam), the National Counterterrorism Agency (BNPT), the Indonesian National Police (Polri), and the Indonesian Press Council, while non-government institutions, such as Line, Turn Back Hoax, Hoax Analyzer, and AppsMu. [23]
One of the actions taken by BNPT, through the Ministry of Communication and Information (Kominfo), is to block 22 Islamic online media sites, because they have spread and provoked people with radical teachings. [24] They block these sites because in the news they spread and support radical teachings, such as using violence in the name of religion, takfiri or judging other people as infidels, also supporting, spreading, and inviting to join ISIS, and interpreting jihad in a limited way. [25] Online media websites based on internet communication technology give wider opportunities to spread spread the ideology of radicalism and terrorism. This is due to its fast, good and inexpensive characteristics, making it easy to spread widely and quickly. [26].
From a legal perspective, those who spread false information or hoaxes in cyberspace will be subjected to positive laws, such as violations of the Criminal Code (KUHO), Law No. 11 Year 2008 concerning Information and Electronic Transactions (ITE), Law No. 40 Year 2008 concerning Elimination of Racial and Ethnic Discrimination, as well as actions when hate speech has caused social conflict, hoax spreaders in cyberspace can also be subjected to hate speech which has been regulated in the Criminal Code and other laws outside the Criminal Code. [26]
Digital Skills
Repressive measures in the form of sentencing for hoax spreaders are important. However, preventive efforts are also needed because it involves the human aspect as a producer and consumer of information, namely through socialization and education about digital media literacy. Describes digital literacy as the ability to understand and apply various forms of information science from multiple sources to present information on a computer. [27] This definition develops to view digital literacy as realization of individuals, attitude and capacity to use digital tools to access, manage, integrate, analyze and synthesize digital information sources by generating new knowledge while also producing various forms of digital media content to communicate in everyday life. [28] This definition includes three dimensions of digital literacy, namely technical, cognitive and sociological skills.
Digital media literacy skills are needed in dealing with hoaxes in Society 5.0. Digital literacy involves more than just the ability to operate digital devices, but also a variety of cognitive, motor, sociological, and emotional skills that function effectively in dealing with a digital environment. In a study on secondary school children in Thailand, it was revealed that developing digital literacy on specific information, such as hoaxes, requires skills, in this case, information management skills in the use of digital tools, creation of new content, and information consolidation. [28] More specifically, classified skills in digital literacy. First, photo-visual literacy involves the ability to read visual representations (integrated images, words, sounds) of digital text. Second, reproductive literacy involves the ability to create new information through the integration of fragments of various types of digital texts. Third, branching literacy; relating to the ability to efficiently navigate through the nonlinear text. Fourth, information literacy involves the ability to critically evaluate digital information.
Fifth, emotional social literacy, which involves the ability to communicate effectively with others using digital media. The six are
referred to as all-time thinking skills; involving the ability to process and evaluate high-level digital information through, for example, digital games or online chat room experience.
In regards to preventing hoaxes in Indonesia, thus it is needed to develop digital media literacy skills in the country. Explains that the process of developing digital media literacy skills for young Indonesians needs to involve many stakeholders in proactive extensive collaboration with policy makers. Regional and National (central government) policy makers as well as various communities need to work together to encourage national curriculum policies, and encourage digital media literacy as a sustainable national program.
[11] Based on these findings, it is necessary to teach digital media skills as a mandatory curriculum in schools from an early age (Kindergarten) to senior high school (SMTA). Introduction from an early age is important, because the ability to absorb digital media literacy skills, for those at a younger age will receive better skills than older ones. [29]
Conclusion
Hoax as false information becomes a part of terror communication because the message content includes labeling, symbolizing and defining the actual facts, resulting in fear and anxiety.
Society 5.0 is a characteristic of the integration of physical and virtual spaces based on digital media, in which hoaxes become a new terror threat. Therefore, countermeasures and prevention are carried out through the application of positive law and digital media skills education as a mandatory curriculum for children from early childhood to senior high school levels in a systematic and continuous manner.
References
[1] T. Sellnow, A. Parrish, and L. Semenas, “From Hoax as Crisis to Crisis as Hoax: Fake News and Information Disorder as Disruptions to the Discourse of Renewal,” J. Int. Cris. Risk Commun. Res., vol. 2, no. 1, pp. 121–142, 2019, doi:
10.30658/jicrcr.2.1.6.
[2] Josina, “Kabar Hoax Timbulkan Korban Jiwa, Apa Solusinya?,”
Detik.Com, 2019. .
[3] J. L. Ravelo, “Hoaks Membunuh Ayahku: Menyingkap pandemi lain di Indonesia,” Unicef.org, 2021. .
[4] A. Septiawan and H. Harlan, “Banyak Penyandang Disabilitas yang Jadi Korban Hoax Vaksin Covid-19,” Detik.Com, 2021. . [5] Fisher, B. K., W. B., S. J., Crawford, and H. Fouayzi, “Attitudes
toward a potential SARS-CoV-2 vaccine: A survey of U.S. adults,”
Ann. Intern. Med., vol. M20, no. 3569, p. In Press, 2021, doi:
10.7326/M20-3569.
[6] C. Pellerin, “Communicating Terror: An Analysis of ISIS Communication Strategy,” Kuwait Progr. Sci. Po, p. 18, 2016.
[7] K. Park and H. Rim, “Social media hoaxes, political ideology, and the role of issue confidence,” Telemat. Informatics, vol. 36, pp. 1–
11, 2019, doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tele.2018.11.001.
[8] van der Linden, “What a hoax: Why people believe in conspiracy theories,” Sci. Am. Mind, vol. 24, no. 4, pp. 41–43., 2015.
[9] A. G. Pereira, T. M. Lima, and F. Charrua-santos, “Industry 4.0 and Society 5.0: Opportunities and Threats,” Int. J. Recent Technol.
Eng., vol. 8, no. 5, pp. 3305–3308, 2020, doi:
10.35940/ijrte.d8764.018520.
[10] P. Skobelev and Y. S. Borovik, “On The Way From Industri 4.0 To Industri 5.0: From Digital Manufactureing To Digital Society.,”
Int. Sci. Res. J., vol. 2, no. 6, pp. 307-311., 2021.
[11] F. Suwana, “Content, changers, community and collaboration:
expanding digital media literacy initiatives,” Media Pract. Educ., vol. 0, no. 0, pp. 1–18, 2021, doi:
10.1080/25741136.2021.1888192.
[12] R. Hobbs, Create to Learn: Introduction to Digital Literacy.
Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons., 2017.
[13] L. D. Utami, “ingkat Literasi Indonesia di Dunia Rendah, Ranking 62 Dari 70 Negara,” Tribunews.com, 2021. .
[14] M. Idris, “Jumlah Penduduk Indonesia Terkini Mencapai 271,34 Juta,” Kompas.Com, 2021. .
[15] Y. Dahono, “Data: Ini Media Sosial Paling Populer di Indonesia 2020-2021,” Beritasatu.com, 2021. .
[16] J. B. K. Kominfo, “Menkominfo Menyesalkan Maraknya Infodemi di Masyarakat dan Menginstruksikan Semua Platform Media Sosial untuk Sigap Mencegah Penyebarannya,” Kominfo .go.id, 2021. .
[17] D. Halim, “Iseng dan Tak Puas dengan Pemerintah, Motif Pelaku Sebar Hoaks Terkait Virus Corona,” Kompas.Com, 2020. .
[18] Kominfo, “Laporan Hoak Kominfo,” Kominfo .go.id, 2020. . [19] D. Miller and T. Mills, “Producing and communicating terror
expertise,” no. September 2001, pp. 1–29, 2010.
[20] E. Olsson, M. Söderlund, and J. Falkheimer, “Communicating Terror: Selecting, Reinforcing and Matching Frames in Connection to the Attacks in Norway on July 22, 2011,” Scand. J.
Public Adm., vol. 19, no. 1, pp. 3–22, 2015.
[21] J. S. Tuman, Communicating Terror: The Rhetorical Dimensions of
Terrorism. San Francisco State University: SAGE Publications Ltd, 2010.
[22] Fukuyama. Mayumi, “Society 5.0: Aiming for a New Human-centered Society,” Japan SPOTLIGHT, no. August, pp. 8–13, 2018.
[23] M. Nurlatifah, “The Fight Against Hoax: An Explorative Study towards Anti_Hoax Movements in Indonesia,” J. Komun. Ikat. Sarj.
Komun. Indones., vol. 4, no. 1, 2019, doi:
10.25008/jkiski.v4i1.227.
[24] Kominfo, “BNPT Minta Kominfo Blokir 22 Situs Radikal,” Kominfo .go.id, 2015. .
[25] A. Adzkia and S. Indra, “Kriteria Situs Islam Radikal Versi BNPT,”
CNN Indonesia, 2015. .
[26] Viva.co.id, “Penebar Hoax Bisa Dijerat Segudang Pasal,”
Viva.co.id, 2017. .
[27] S. Kaeophanuek, N.-S. Jaitip, and P. Nilsook, “How to Enhance Digital Literacy Skills among Information Sciences Students,” Int.
J. Inf. Educ. Technol., vol. 8, no. 4, pp. 292–297, 2018, doi:
10.18178/ijiet.2018.8.4.1050.
[28] Y. Eshet-Alkalai, “"Digital literacy: A conceptual framework for survival skills in the digital era,” J. Educ. Multimed. Hypermedia, vol. 13, pp. 93–106, 2004.
[29] Y. Eshet-Alkali and Y. Amichai-Hamburger, “Experiments in digital literacy,” Cyberpsychology Behav., vol. 7, no. 4, pp. 421–
429, 2004, doi: 10.1089/cpb.2004.7.421.