Jakarta (ANTARA) - The Presidential Communications Office (PCO) visited Australia to bolster bilateral cooperation and learn best practices in government public relations, digital policy, and efforts to countering disinformation.
“This initiative is part of strengthening Indonesia–Australia cooperation under President Prabowo Subianto and Prime Minister Albanese,” the PCO's Deputy for Dissemination and Media Information, Noudhy Valdryno, remarked in a written statement here on Sunday.
According to him, the visit aligns with the Indonesian government’s Asta Cita missions and supports Australia’s Southeast Asia Economic Strategy to 2040.
During the nearly week-long visit, the Indonesian delegation engaged in discussions with academicians and policy experts from many agencies.
At the University of Sydney, the delegation met with Mitchell Hobbs, a senior lecturer in media and public relations and former communications adviser to Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard (2010–2013).
Hobbs emphasized the need for government communication to transform from being reactive to proactive and educational, especially in addressing misinformation.
“To fight disinformation, the government must respond swiftly and have an accurate framework for collaboration that accommodates civil society coalitions and academia,” Valdryno explained.
Like Indonesia, Australia also faces a surge in negative digital content including disinformation, defamation, and hate speech. In response, Australia will restrict social media access for users under 16 to counter online violence, pornography, false or fake information, and AI abuse.
Indonesia has responded similarly with President Prabowo recently signing a Government Regulation on Electronic System Governance for Child Protection (PP TUNAS), aimed at ensuring child safety in digital spaces.
"We discussed on how to fight the phenomenon together. There are many insights that we can implement in Indonesia,” Valdryno added.
The delegation returned with strategic lessons aimed at enriching Indonesia’s national communication strategy, expanding international cooperation, and addressing digital challenges through collaboration.
PCO will improve its fact-checking system and form a special team to counter disinformation, defamation, and hate speech.
