How Deepfakes Threaten Democracy: Indonesia's Crucial Learnings

Deepfakes have emerged as a potent threat to democracies worldwide, with Indonesia’s recent experience illustrating their potential to destabilize societies. In a digital age where reality can be manipulated and truth distorted, Indonesia’s challenges serve as a warning and a guide for the global south.

The Sri Mulyani Incident: A Wake-Up Call

In August 2025, Indonesia was rocked by a deepfake video of Finance Minister Sri Mulyani. The video falsely showed her discrediting teachers, igniting public outrage that culminated in demonstrations and violence. This incident exposed not only the power of deepfakes but also the vulnerabilities in Indonesia’s socio-political fabric where digital literacy is low, and misinformation spreads rapidly. The incident underscored how fragile democratic structures can be against such technological deceptions.

The Broad Spectrum of Deepfake Threats

Deepfakes are not limited to political figures—they can target any influential person or institution. By altering videos to make it appear that, for example, a religious leader insulted a faith or a CEO ordered an unauthorized transaction, these manipulations can incite communal violence, influence elections, and degrade trust in public systems. They offer unscrupulous individuals the liar’s dividend, allowing them to dismiss genuine evidence as fake. According to Modern Diplomacy, deepfakes are the latest tools in the arsenal of misinformation.

Regulatory Frameworks: A Marathon, Not a Sprint

Learning from other powers like China, India, and the EU, where regulatory frameworks are evolving to address the menace, Indonesia is focusing on long-term strategies through legislative measures like integrating deepfake detection in cybersecurity laws. A pentahelix collaboration involving government, academia, industry, civil society, and media is essential for devising comprehensive outreach and containment strategies.

Immediate Remedies: Education and Influencers

Education emerges as a quick win in combating deepfakes. Empowering new intellectual leaders and content creators to distribute educational media that teaches awareness and critical thinking is crucial. These leaders can harness social media to promulgate facts and dispel myths. An emphasis on platforms curating AI-generated short form content to educate citizens, using relatable narratives and available formats, emphasizes proactive prevention.

The Road Ahead: Risk Management as a Standard

The increasing sophistication of AI technologies portends that deepfakes are not a matter of ‘if’ but ‘when’. Indonesia could become a role model by establishing a rapid-response force to verify and counteract viral content quickly. Implementing automatic alert systems and continuous public engagement drills can protect against manipulation. Jakarta’s initiatives should extend beyond the capital, educating and enabling communities with effective response mechanisms.

For the Global South, the stakes could not be higher. As the dynamics of post-truth deepen, artful usage of technology, education, and policy must be our collective shield. The time to act against potential deepfake crises that endanger democracy is now.