Antara News·Indonesia·Saturday, November 14, 2026 at 09:52 AM UTC

Newsrooms must keep control over algorithms, Minister says

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Farhan, Kenzu

Jakarta (ANTARA) - Indonesia's Minister of Communication and Digital Affairs Meutya Hafid stressed the importance of keeping control in the newsrooms as digital platform algorithms increasingly influence how information spreads and is consumed.

"We must have control over algorithms. Algorithms determined by humans who have the ability to judge which news brings good and which brings harm," Hafid said in a ministry press statement here on Saturday.

According to her, news selection must remain in the hands of journalists and editors who can weigh context and public interest, not simply follow the algorithms of tech companies that tend to be profit-oriented.

At the launch of Media Swara Indonesia Raya on Friday (November 13), she noted the algorithms of global tech companies’ digital platforms may disregard journalistic values and ethics, and the interests of the wider public.

Hafid also reminded that artificial intelligence (AI) cannot yet fully replace humans in judging the quality and impact of information.

According to her, journalists and editors are still needed to understand context, weigh public interest, and assess the consequences of reporting.

Hafid said about 64 percent of people now get information through social media platforms, putting pressure on the national mass media industry.

"It is not easy because, again, the algorithms are so big. We fight them one by one with the algorithm of our newsrooms, which may be smaller now than 10 years ago, but still, it matters," she said.

Presidential Regulation Number 32 of 2024 on Digital Platform Companies’ Responsibility to Support Quality Journalism was enacted to support the national mass media ecosystem.

In addition, Hafid said the government has been pushing discussion of a law on mass media rights in the House of Representatives (DPR) despite challenges, including rejection from global tech companies.

"The global big companies do resist, but we must strive to keep protecting the information ecosystem, including media and journalism," she stated.

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