The spread of fake news and hoaxes is a problem in many parts of the world, including Indonesia, where the government has made a public push to combat the problem by blocking access to numerous websites suspected of spreading false stories and extremist content.
The Indonesian Press Council wants to take it a step further by letting media consumers know which publications they deem legitimate and which they do not. To do this, they are going to issue specialized barcodes to media organizations that have been registered and verified by the council.
“There will be a barcode saying that the media outlet is trusted and verified by the Press Council. This is to minimize the number of people affected by hoaxes,” said the Press Council Chairman Yosep Adi Prasetyo, as quoted by Antara News yesterday.
Yosep said barcodes would be given to print and online publications. When scanned, it would show information about the editors of the publication and the address of the company.
The barcode system, which is being developed by the Press Council and the IT and Communications Ministry, will be launched in phases in conjunction with National Press Day on February 9.
Thousands of Indonesian media companies have registered with the Press Council. You can find a list of these companies on their website.
