Concerns over online falsehoods (popularly called “hoax”) received outsized attention throughout ... more Concerns over online falsehoods (popularly called “hoax”) received outsized attention throughout Indonesia’s 2019 elections. Events such as the 212 Defend Islam Rally, past election experiences of intense political mudslinging and the 2016 U.S. presidential election have informed the nation’s perspective about hoax, seeing it as a term that imply division and could potentially tear apart the young democracy. Social media, especially encrypted platforms like WhatsApp, was used to spread hoaxes during the 2019 elections. The combination of the ability to be anonymous online, the rise of horizontal trust and the inability to critically evaluate online information meant that hoax campaigns gained traction during the election campaigning period. As terms like “buzzers” and “cyber troops/armies” were thrown about, it was clear that a climate of distrust had been established. While assessing the impact of hoaxes during the 2019 elections is challenging, overall level of trust in electoral institutions have been affected, serving as a backdrop to the worst national election-related violence to take place in Indonesia since 1999. Going forward, neither regulation of digital architecture nor cultivation of digital literacy alone is sufficient. Instead, a combination of different measures from diverse stakeholders in the society may offer a more practical solution towards resolving the challenges of hoax.
Amazon’s home assistant, Echo, became a key piece of evidence in a 2015 murder case as the device... more Amazon’s home assistant, Echo, became a key piece of evidence in a 2015 murder case as the device was believed to be recording crucial conversation on the night of the victim’s death. In the ‘era of ubiquitous listening’, where devices constantly scan for user voice command to perform tasks, violation to privacy results from user’s response to smart technology. This exploratory paper examines behavioural vulnerabilities that are prone to exploitation in the adoption of speech-activated home assistants and considers the implications in terms of privacy challenges arising from mass adoption of the technology. Anthropomorphism is a behavioural trait that leads to the likelihood of speech-activated devices being exploited. It encompasses factors such as intonation cues, visual cues, convenience, and sociability. Habituation to the presence of speech-activated home assistants gives rise to challenges to user privacy and security. For practitioners, legal provision must be made to accommodate potentially ubiquitous speech-activated technology.
Combating Violent Extremism and Radicalization in the Digital Era
Social media analytics are increasingly incorporated into security practices due to the rise in o... more Social media analytics are increasingly incorporated into security practices due to the rise in online criminal and extremist activities. Social media research, however, has not become established in either intelligence practice or academic-based approach. This chapter aims to fill the gap by discussing collection methods and analytical tools for the study of social media data for intelligence and countering violent extremism: social network analysis, sentiment analysis, multilingual analysis, geo-coding, automated entity extraction, semantic search, and multimedia analysis. While technological capabilities of social media analytics are improving rapidly, it needs to be complemented with nuanced perspectives from the social sciences. Understanding of the epistemology of social media and dynamics between the online-offline interaction as well as data access will put practitioners in a better position to reap the benefits of the social media. Attention should be given to train practit...
More than two years after the 2008 global financial crisis, Indonesia’s Chamber of Commerce and I... more More than two years after the 2008 global financial crisis, Indonesia’s Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KADIN) predicted a 7 per cent economic growth for the country in 2011. While the outlook is optimistic, the perennial challenge of job creation was addressed by the chairman of the KADIN, Suryo Bambang Sulistiyo. Labour, with its demand and supply, has always been an important issue in Indonesia’s economy, giving rise to implications to the country’s social and political conditions. The Indonesian Labour Market by Shafiq Dhanani, Iyanatul Islam and Anis Chowdhury is a timely and thorough study on the topic, spanning over 200 pages discussing various angles and viewpoints on the workforce. The book began by situating the labour market within the historical framework of Indonesia’s economy, starting with the post-colonial democratic experiment of the 1950s and ending the analysis in the decentralized post-Suharto period. It concluded with constructive policy recommendations that a...
Konrad Adenauer Stiftung and Digital Asia Hub, 2021
There is a need for credible voices to reach some segments of netizens who are inclined to dismis... more There is a need for credible voices to reach some segments of netizens who are inclined to dismiss official messages, isolated within their filter bubbles. Technologically-savvy ground-up initiatives in Southeast Asia can lend a credible voice to point people to verified information during the pandemic. They can mobilise quickly in times of crisis to address misinformation and provide ingenious solutions to issues of public concern.
The return of Rizieq Shihab, the leader of the Islam Defenders Front (FPI), to Indonesia has spar... more The return of Rizieq Shihab, the leader of the Islam Defenders Front (FPI), to Indonesia has sparked a new round of online warfare. Some hardliners believe that the de facto opposition leader is a victim of deepfakes: video and audio content that has been manipulated by artificial intelligence (AI) technology. While the video is not actually one, the term ‘deepfake’ has been weaponised as disinformation. Given deepfakes’ traction among the politically conscious, efforts to detect them and prevent their misuse should be conducted early
Crowdsourcing during the COVID-19 pandemic not only encourages innovation but could potentially b... more Crowdsourcing during the COVID-19 pandemic not only encourages innovation but could potentially build public trust, enabling leaders to demonstrate that they value and desire citizen input. Organisations/ individuals seeking to effectively crowdsource during the pandemic should try the "participant-curator" model to establish ownership on the part of the participants and ultimately ensure success
Blame games and misinformation during the pandemic are both highlighting and deepening divisions.... more Blame games and misinformation during the pandemic are both highlighting and deepening divisions. While subversive groups appeal to frustrations and exploit gaps in state-led responses, civil society organisations are stepping in to provide where the state falls short.
The Covid-19 “infodemic” has made plain the risks from ill-intended videos and photos. This is tr... more The Covid-19 “infodemic” has made plain the risks from ill-intended videos and photos. This is true for elections, too.
The role of social media in aiding terrorist attacks worldwide has been widely discussed among co... more The role of social media in aiding terrorist attacks worldwide has been widely discussed among counterterrorism officials and academics. Since 2014, the idea of 'crowdsourced terrorism', whereby the Islamic State (IS) outsourced the conduct of attacks to their followers and attempted to attract them to Syria, has been popularly used by Western policymakers. This article critically examines the phenomenon of crowdsourcing and the IS's online appeal in the case of Indonesia. The participant–curator crowdsourcing model outlined by Laurie Philips and Daren Brabham explains the online appeal of the IS, with social media facilitating the IS's establishment of the relationship with Internet users in faraway countries such as Indonesia and allowing them to participate in the making of the IS brand. Participatory culture therefore encourages an e-supporter's faith in the importance of their individual contribution and social connection that transcend offline realities in areas such as citizenship. IS opinion leaders work alongside online supporters to craft the meaning of martyrdom and imagination of citizenship through social media posts about life in the Caliphate. The land of Syria is imagined simultaneously as paradise for those who take their faith seriously as well as the venue for the Islamic equivalent of Armageddon. Hijrah (jihad by emigration) to Syria and martyrdom are represented as obligatory in the quest for equalization of power and freedom from slavery of those who are against the establishment of the Caliphate. Crowdsourced imaginations of the IS have had implications in several areas of policymaking. The article will discuss the implications of online imaginaries on IS's approaches to militancy in its operations, Indonesian decision makers' debate to revoke the citizenship of those who had travelled to IS and for the Indonesian military in its quest for expansion of their role in counterterror operations.
Amazon's home assistant, Echo, became a key piece of evidence in a 2015 murder case as the device... more Amazon's home assistant, Echo, became a key piece of evidence in a 2015 murder case as the device was believed to be recording crucial conversation on the night of the victim's death. In the 'era of ubiquitous listening', where devices constantly scan for user voice command to perform tasks, violation to privacy results from user's response to smart technology. This exploratory paper examines behavioural vulnerabilities that are prone to exploitation in the adoption of speech-activated home assistants and considers the implications in terms of privacy challenges arising from mass adoption of the technology. Anthropomorphism is a behavioural trait that leads to the likelihood of speech-activated devices being exploited. It encompasses factors such as intonation cues, visual cues, convenience, and sociability. Habituation to the presence of speech-activated home assistants gives rise to challenges to user privacy and security. For practitioners, legal provision must be made to accommodate potentially ubiquitous speech-activated technology.
The Internet has become a crucial part of modern society’s life due to its ability to
facilitate ... more The Internet has become a crucial part of modern society’s life due to its ability to facilitate communication and structure contemporary society. Indonesia has not been left out of this global phenomenon. The Internet came to Indonesia in 1983 and its usage has continued to expand ever since, especially within institutions of learning and in the government sector. The study of radical websites must be situated within the development of the Internet in Indonesia in general instead of being examined by itself. The impact of certain activities such as cyberterrorism must then be examined in perspective, given the vast expanse of Indonesia as an archipelago and the resulting difficulties in linking the entire country to the Internet. This article seeks to trace the development of the Internet in Indonesia and examine the resulting impact on the reach of the radical Bahasa Indonesia Islamic websites in the Indonesian Archipelago and beyond. It also highlights typical narrative and operations of the radical websites, which serves to distinguish them from radical websites from elsewhere, such as the Middle East.
... contributes towards the maintenance of the websites. For example, the Palestinian Information... more ... contributes towards the maintenance of the websites. For example, the Palestinian Information Center website sold writing books printed with the photographs of Palestinian martyrs Syaikh Ahmed Yassin, Abdul Aziz Rantisi and Yahya Ayyasy on its cover. 52 Costing Rp. ...
Concerns over online falsehoods (popularly called “hoax”) received outsized attention throughout ... more Concerns over online falsehoods (popularly called “hoax”) received outsized attention throughout Indonesia’s 2019 elections. Events such as the 212 Defend Islam Rally, past election experiences of intense political mudslinging and the 2016 U.S. presidential election have informed the nation’s perspective about hoax, seeing it as a term that imply division and could potentially tear apart the young democracy. Social media, especially encrypted platforms like WhatsApp, was used to spread hoaxes during the 2019 elections. The combination of the ability to be anonymous online, the rise of horizontal trust and the inability to critically evaluate online information meant that hoax campaigns gained traction during the election campaigning period. As terms like “buzzers” and “cyber troops/armies” were thrown about, it was clear that a climate of distrust had been established. While assessing the impact of hoaxes during the 2019 elections is challenging, overall level of trust in electoral institutions have been affected, serving as a backdrop to the worst national election-related violence to take place in Indonesia since 1999. Going forward, neither regulation of digital architecture nor cultivation of digital literacy alone is sufficient. Instead, a combination of different measures from diverse stakeholders in the society may offer a more practical solution towards resolving the challenges of hoax.
Amazon’s home assistant, Echo, became a key piece of evidence in a 2015 murder case as the device... more Amazon’s home assistant, Echo, became a key piece of evidence in a 2015 murder case as the device was believed to be recording crucial conversation on the night of the victim’s death. In the ‘era of ubiquitous listening’, where devices constantly scan for user voice command to perform tasks, violation to privacy results from user’s response to smart technology. This exploratory paper examines behavioural vulnerabilities that are prone to exploitation in the adoption of speech-activated home assistants and considers the implications in terms of privacy challenges arising from mass adoption of the technology. Anthropomorphism is a behavioural trait that leads to the likelihood of speech-activated devices being exploited. It encompasses factors such as intonation cues, visual cues, convenience, and sociability. Habituation to the presence of speech-activated home assistants gives rise to challenges to user privacy and security. For practitioners, legal provision must be made to accommodate potentially ubiquitous speech-activated technology.
Combating Violent Extremism and Radicalization in the Digital Era
Social media analytics are increasingly incorporated into security practices due to the rise in o... more Social media analytics are increasingly incorporated into security practices due to the rise in online criminal and extremist activities. Social media research, however, has not become established in either intelligence practice or academic-based approach. This chapter aims to fill the gap by discussing collection methods and analytical tools for the study of social media data for intelligence and countering violent extremism: social network analysis, sentiment analysis, multilingual analysis, geo-coding, automated entity extraction, semantic search, and multimedia analysis. While technological capabilities of social media analytics are improving rapidly, it needs to be complemented with nuanced perspectives from the social sciences. Understanding of the epistemology of social media and dynamics between the online-offline interaction as well as data access will put practitioners in a better position to reap the benefits of the social media. Attention should be given to train practit...
More than two years after the 2008 global financial crisis, Indonesia’s Chamber of Commerce and I... more More than two years after the 2008 global financial crisis, Indonesia’s Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KADIN) predicted a 7 per cent economic growth for the country in 2011. While the outlook is optimistic, the perennial challenge of job creation was addressed by the chairman of the KADIN, Suryo Bambang Sulistiyo. Labour, with its demand and supply, has always been an important issue in Indonesia’s economy, giving rise to implications to the country’s social and political conditions. The Indonesian Labour Market by Shafiq Dhanani, Iyanatul Islam and Anis Chowdhury is a timely and thorough study on the topic, spanning over 200 pages discussing various angles and viewpoints on the workforce. The book began by situating the labour market within the historical framework of Indonesia’s economy, starting with the post-colonial democratic experiment of the 1950s and ending the analysis in the decentralized post-Suharto period. It concluded with constructive policy recommendations that a...
Konrad Adenauer Stiftung and Digital Asia Hub, 2021
There is a need for credible voices to reach some segments of netizens who are inclined to dismis... more There is a need for credible voices to reach some segments of netizens who are inclined to dismiss official messages, isolated within their filter bubbles. Technologically-savvy ground-up initiatives in Southeast Asia can lend a credible voice to point people to verified information during the pandemic. They can mobilise quickly in times of crisis to address misinformation and provide ingenious solutions to issues of public concern.
The return of Rizieq Shihab, the leader of the Islam Defenders Front (FPI), to Indonesia has spar... more The return of Rizieq Shihab, the leader of the Islam Defenders Front (FPI), to Indonesia has sparked a new round of online warfare. Some hardliners believe that the de facto opposition leader is a victim of deepfakes: video and audio content that has been manipulated by artificial intelligence (AI) technology. While the video is not actually one, the term ‘deepfake’ has been weaponised as disinformation. Given deepfakes’ traction among the politically conscious, efforts to detect them and prevent their misuse should be conducted early
Crowdsourcing during the COVID-19 pandemic not only encourages innovation but could potentially b... more Crowdsourcing during the COVID-19 pandemic not only encourages innovation but could potentially build public trust, enabling leaders to demonstrate that they value and desire citizen input. Organisations/ individuals seeking to effectively crowdsource during the pandemic should try the "participant-curator" model to establish ownership on the part of the participants and ultimately ensure success
Blame games and misinformation during the pandemic are both highlighting and deepening divisions.... more Blame games and misinformation during the pandemic are both highlighting and deepening divisions. While subversive groups appeal to frustrations and exploit gaps in state-led responses, civil society organisations are stepping in to provide where the state falls short.
The Covid-19 “infodemic” has made plain the risks from ill-intended videos and photos. This is tr... more The Covid-19 “infodemic” has made plain the risks from ill-intended videos and photos. This is true for elections, too.
The role of social media in aiding terrorist attacks worldwide has been widely discussed among co... more The role of social media in aiding terrorist attacks worldwide has been widely discussed among counterterrorism officials and academics. Since 2014, the idea of 'crowdsourced terrorism', whereby the Islamic State (IS) outsourced the conduct of attacks to their followers and attempted to attract them to Syria, has been popularly used by Western policymakers. This article critically examines the phenomenon of crowdsourcing and the IS's online appeal in the case of Indonesia. The participant–curator crowdsourcing model outlined by Laurie Philips and Daren Brabham explains the online appeal of the IS, with social media facilitating the IS's establishment of the relationship with Internet users in faraway countries such as Indonesia and allowing them to participate in the making of the IS brand. Participatory culture therefore encourages an e-supporter's faith in the importance of their individual contribution and social connection that transcend offline realities in areas such as citizenship. IS opinion leaders work alongside online supporters to craft the meaning of martyrdom and imagination of citizenship through social media posts about life in the Caliphate. The land of Syria is imagined simultaneously as paradise for those who take their faith seriously as well as the venue for the Islamic equivalent of Armageddon. Hijrah (jihad by emigration) to Syria and martyrdom are represented as obligatory in the quest for equalization of power and freedom from slavery of those who are against the establishment of the Caliphate. Crowdsourced imaginations of the IS have had implications in several areas of policymaking. The article will discuss the implications of online imaginaries on IS's approaches to militancy in its operations, Indonesian decision makers' debate to revoke the citizenship of those who had travelled to IS and for the Indonesian military in its quest for expansion of their role in counterterror operations.
Amazon's home assistant, Echo, became a key piece of evidence in a 2015 murder case as the device... more Amazon's home assistant, Echo, became a key piece of evidence in a 2015 murder case as the device was believed to be recording crucial conversation on the night of the victim's death. In the 'era of ubiquitous listening', where devices constantly scan for user voice command to perform tasks, violation to privacy results from user's response to smart technology. This exploratory paper examines behavioural vulnerabilities that are prone to exploitation in the adoption of speech-activated home assistants and considers the implications in terms of privacy challenges arising from mass adoption of the technology. Anthropomorphism is a behavioural trait that leads to the likelihood of speech-activated devices being exploited. It encompasses factors such as intonation cues, visual cues, convenience, and sociability. Habituation to the presence of speech-activated home assistants gives rise to challenges to user privacy and security. For practitioners, legal provision must be made to accommodate potentially ubiquitous speech-activated technology.
The Internet has become a crucial part of modern society’s life due to its ability to
facilitate ... more The Internet has become a crucial part of modern society’s life due to its ability to facilitate communication and structure contemporary society. Indonesia has not been left out of this global phenomenon. The Internet came to Indonesia in 1983 and its usage has continued to expand ever since, especially within institutions of learning and in the government sector. The study of radical websites must be situated within the development of the Internet in Indonesia in general instead of being examined by itself. The impact of certain activities such as cyberterrorism must then be examined in perspective, given the vast expanse of Indonesia as an archipelago and the resulting difficulties in linking the entire country to the Internet. This article seeks to trace the development of the Internet in Indonesia and examine the resulting impact on the reach of the radical Bahasa Indonesia Islamic websites in the Indonesian Archipelago and beyond. It also highlights typical narrative and operations of the radical websites, which serves to distinguish them from radical websites from elsewhere, such as the Middle East.
... contributes towards the maintenance of the websites. For example, the Palestinian Information... more ... contributes towards the maintenance of the websites. For example, the Palestinian Information Center website sold writing books printed with the photographs of Palestinian martyrs Syaikh Ahmed Yassin, Abdul Aziz Rantisi and Yahya Ayyasy on its cover. 52 Costing Rp. ...
Concerns over online falsehoods (popularly called “hoax”) received outsized attention throughout ... more Concerns over online falsehoods (popularly called “hoax”) received outsized attention throughout Indonesia’s 2019 elections. Events such as the 212 Defend Islam Rally, past election experiences of intense political mudslinging and the 2016 U.S. presidential election have informed the nation’s perspective about hoax, seeing it as a term that imply division and could potentially tear apart the young democracy. Social media, especially encrypted platforms like WhatsApp, was used to spread hoaxes during the 2019 elections. The combination of the ability to be anonymous online, the rise of horizontal trust and the inability to critically evaluate online information meant that hoax campaigns gained traction during the election campaigning period. As terms like “buzzers” and “cyber troops/armies” were thrown about, it was clear that a climate of distrust had been established. While assessing the impact of hoaxes during the 2019 elections is challenging, overall level of trust in electoral institutions have been affected, serving as a backdrop to the worst national election-related violence to take place in Indonesia since 1999. Going forward, neither regulation of digital architecture nor cultivation of digital literacy alone is sufficient. Instead, a combination of different measures from diverse stakeholders in the society may offer a more practical solution towards resolving the challenges of hoax.
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Papers by Jennifer Yang Hui
facilitate communication and structure contemporary society. Indonesia has not been
left out of this global phenomenon. The Internet came to Indonesia in 1983 and its
usage has continued to expand ever since, especially within institutions of learning
and in the government sector. The study of radical websites must be situated within
the development of the Internet in Indonesia in general instead of being examined by
itself. The impact of certain activities such as cyberterrorism must then be examined
in perspective, given the vast expanse of Indonesia as an archipelago and the resulting
difficulties in linking the entire country to the Internet. This article seeks to trace the
development of the Internet in Indonesia and examine the resulting impact on the reach
of the radical Bahasa Indonesia Islamic websites in the Indonesian Archipelago and
beyond. It also highlights typical narrative and operations of the radical websites, which
serves to distinguish them from radical websites from elsewhere, such as the Middle East.
facilitate communication and structure contemporary society. Indonesia has not been
left out of this global phenomenon. The Internet came to Indonesia in 1983 and its
usage has continued to expand ever since, especially within institutions of learning
and in the government sector. The study of radical websites must be situated within
the development of the Internet in Indonesia in general instead of being examined by
itself. The impact of certain activities such as cyberterrorism must then be examined
in perspective, given the vast expanse of Indonesia as an archipelago and the resulting
difficulties in linking the entire country to the Internet. This article seeks to trace the
development of the Internet in Indonesia and examine the resulting impact on the reach
of the radical Bahasa Indonesia Islamic websites in the Indonesian Archipelago and
beyond. It also highlights typical narrative and operations of the radical websites, which
serves to distinguish them from radical websites from elsewhere, such as the Middle East.