inp.polri.go.id - Jakarta. Vice Minister of Communication and Digital Affairs, Nezar Patria, emphasized the urgency of understanding digital ethics, especially among the younger generation, to appropriately respond to legal findings shared through digital platforms, including social media.
Critical thinking skills in responding to an issue and strengthening digital ethics are crucial so that the younger generation, known as digital natives, will be able to respond objectively to various information and not rely solely on a single source.
"The most important thing to introduce them to is how to think critically and also to digital ethics, because ethics exist not only in physical spaces but must also be reflected when interacting in digital spaces," said Nezar on Thursday (6/25/2026).
The statement came in response to the phenomenon of sentiment-based legal enforcement on social media, which advocates "no viral, no justice."
According to him, in responding to legal cases that are circulating in the digital space, despite the pressure of public opinion, these cases should be assessed and handled objectively based on facts and a fair process.
"The law should not be driven by sentiment, the law cannot be driven by anger, the law cannot be decided based on likes or dislikes," noted Nezar.
He argued that the phenomenon of law enforcement based on sentiment on social media has actually been occurring worldwide for almost a decade due to the presence of digital public spaces, which have led to more intense public communication.
Nezar warned that the algorithms used in digital platforms do not verify facts, making the digital space vulnerable to hoaxes, disinformation, misinformation, and the formation of perceptions that do not always align with reality.
Therefore, in response to these challenges, the government continues to strengthen digital literacy among the younger generation and introduce adaptive regulations. These efforts are being made to enable the public to use the digital space responsibly and to protect them from various forms of misleading information.
(ad/ndt/pr/rs)
