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| Group Photo with Mustafa Selcuk and UMM Communication Program Head Nasrullah as Panelists (Photo: Istimewa) |
The polarization of groups caused by information wars on social media is increasingly troubling. Various cases of unnecessary social conflicts begin with mutual insults on social media. It turns out that this information war is not always natural but is often engineered by certain parties using troll factories, internet agency companies that manage issues using influencers, buzzers, or bots.
This issue emerged in the International Guest Lecture discussion at the Communication Studies Program of Universitas Muhammadiyah Malang (UMM) on Wednesday (15/5/2024). The event featured keynote speaker Mustafa Selcuk, a new media expert from Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece, and UMM Communication Program Head Nasrullah as a panelist.
Selcuk stated that information wars on media resemble real-world wars. Cyber warfare can involve computer virus attacks, disrupting radars, encrypting radio transmissions, and bombing communication relay centers. "All of these are intended to protect or attack the opponent's information or information systems," he said.
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However, information warfare is not limited to the military world, although it can be used to support national military strategies. Information warfare is not just about cyberattacks but also relies on social media campaigns to spread actors' interests and narratives through social media platforms.
"For example, public support is crucial for the success of prolonged campaigns, and supporters and detractors will battle through newspapers and television to influence that support," Selcuk added.
He also cited Pegasus, Israeli spyware designed to be secretly and remotely installed on iOS and Android phones.
Meanwhile, Nasrullah warned students not to be easily provoked and enter echo chambers emotionally when receiving information from social media. Many cases worldwide show that divisions are caused by polarization on social media. "This provocation is intentionally carried out by troll factories," Nasrullah said.
Explaining the workings of troll factories, he said they nurture buzzers or bots, and influencers, and use hoax information to attack opponents or pit groups against each other, leading to sharper polarization. Troll factories can disrupt social order by leveraging content and networks through social media to stir public opinion into mutual hatred and insults.
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"According to research, out of 64 countries, 30 use troll factories to wage information wars. This is very dangerous if not watched carefully," Nasrullah stressed.
Students competed to ask questions after the two speakers presented their materials. Most questioned the government's and media's stance during such information wars. The public is often harmed, being divided and dragged into conflict when opinion wars occur in the media. One of the questioners, Sania, criticized the media for frequently framing news using information disorder methods. Responding to this statement, Selcuk said that media subjectivity often becomes a source of public information and reference. The best way, according to him, is to double-check the truth conveyed by the media by asking directly to trusted sources.
Senada Selcuk, Nasrullah menegaskan tidak ada media yang 100 persen objektif dan netral. Setiap media memiliki kepentingan yang sulit dilepaskan, baik dari sisi individu pekerja media, rutinitas, organisasi internal dan eksternal media, maupun pada tingkat ideologi.
In line with Selcuk, Nasrullah emphasized that no media is 100 percent objective and neutral. Every media has interests that are difficult to separate, whether from the individual media workers, media's internal and external organizational routines, or at the ideological level.
According to Selcuk, non-military actors use social media for mobilization. Social media mobilization will eventually affect social mobilization in the real world. "For example, protests against the war in Israel by students at Columbia University in the United States. In such a situation, not only the campus but even the government could not prevent it because it was mobilized by social media," Selcuk added.
However, Selcuk continued, hoaxes will not benefit any party. If a claim to truth uses hoaxes, it will harm all parties.
UMM Vice Rector for Research, Community Service, and Cooperation, Salis Yanuardi, Ph.D., appreciated UMM Communication for raising this topic. Besides being current, the issue of information war is also hot. "We are in a simulacrum society, where it is difficult to distinguish between true and false information," he said when opening the event.
The international guest lecture of UMM Communication is one of the programs to enhance students' knowledge and experience with a global touch. As a study program internationally accredited by FIBAA in Germany, UMM Communication will continue to schedule international forums in the form of guest lectures, seminars, and student exchanges. (*/wil/fajr)
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