Jakarta - Following the 16 priority programs of The Chief of INP Gen. Listyo Sigit Prabowo number five, namely strengthening the performance of security and security maintenance, the Virtual Police is present as part of social security maintenance in the digital space to be clean, healthy, and productive.
Virtual Police is also a police activity to educate the public about opinions or content that are considered potentially violating criminal acts. "Through the Virtual Police, the INP provides education and notification that what is written violates the crime, please do not rewrite and erase it," said the Head of the INP Public Relations Division, Inspector General Argo Yuwono, at INP Headquarters, Jakarta, Wednesday (24/2/2021).
Argo explains how this Virtual Police carries out its duties. The former head of Public Relations of Metro Jaya Regional Police said the Virtual Police warning to accounts deemed to be violating was not subjective but through an in-depth study with experts.
The process is when an account is found text or pictures that can violate the crime. Then the officer screened the upload for consultation by a team of experts consisting of criminal, language, and ITE experts.
"If the expert states that this is a criminal offense, then it is submitted to the Cyber Directorate or the designated official on Cyber to provide validation, then a Virtual Police Alert is sent personally to the account concerned officially," explained Argo.
Alerts are sent via Direct Message or DM. The goal, said Argo, was that the Police did not want these social media users to feel offended by the Police's warning through the Virtual Police.
"It is hoped that the Virtual Police can reduce hoaxes or post-truths in cyberspace. The Police can correct the community if they make writing or picture that can make other people displeased and to avoid reporting to each other, "he said.
On the other hand, Argo dismissed several parties' concerns with the Virtual Police narrowing people's freedom in the digital space.
"INP does not restrain or limit the public in their opinion, but INP tries to educate people if they violate a crime. Until now, four accounts have been warned through virtual Police," said Argo.