AuthorAdinda Aurelia Brigitta AribowoAudra LimGertrude Nathania SarenaKan Yan Lin RamieMaria Jessica De Clara Mety MerroPhua Jiang NiSarah Ali Asgar BhagatSyalom Erin DaniellaEditorHafiz Noer
Governments and schools play a big role in deciding how AI is used and how mis/disinformation is addressed. This group will explore how policies in Singapore and Indonesia differ: What are each country’s rules? How do they protect students? And do young people have a say in these decisions?
Governments and schools play a big role in deciding how AI is used and how mis/ disinformation is addressed. While both Singapore and Indonesia do not have specific laws in deciding how AI is used, some laws include how mis/disinformation is addressed. However, both countries’ governments have implemented certain guidelines on how to use technology and AI. This essay serves to explore both countries’ policies regarding the use of AI and addressing mis/disinformation, how these rules differ, as well as to what extent youth have a say in these decisions.
In Singapore, POFMA (Protection from Online Falsehoods And Manipulation Act), addresses false statements (misinformation) published online, in the public interest, by giving correction directions. Secondly, OCHA (Online Criminal Harms Act) manages criminal cyberactivities such as scams by giving authorities the power to curb the communication of such illegal material. Examples include the ability to disable content, block accounts or websites engaged in such activity. This hence prevents disinformation in the form of scams. Thirdly, ELIONA [the Elections (Integrity of Online Advertising)] protects the electoral process by banning digitally manipulated content that misdepicts political candidates during an election period. Concerning students, Device Management Applications (DMAs) are installed in their Personal Learning Devices (PLD) to ensure safe usage of technology and minimise access to undesirable content, inclusive of websites with misleading or false information.
In Indonesia, Golden Generation 2045 is a long term strategy to develop excellent human resources by the nation’s 100th anniversary of independence in 2045. One of the four main pillars focuses on human resource and technology development. To support that, the government has made programs to ensure a bright generation that’ll work with AI in the future. EIT (Educational Integration & Technology) is one of Indonesia’s core strategies to modernize education by using artificial intelligence and connecting schools, teachers, and students through a shared platform. There is also UU-ITE (Undang-Undang Informasi dan Transaksi Elektronik) which is Law No. 19 of 2016 concerning Electronic Information and Transactions. Article 28 (paragraph 1): Any person who intentionally and without authority spreads false and misleading news that results in consumer losses in Electronic Transactions.
These laws are similar and different in several ways when it comes to the protection of students. They both strive to prevent and shut down mis/disinformation immediately. Although, while both Singapore and Indonesia both regulate the spread of mis- or disinformation through policies, their approaches differ in emphasis. Singapore adopts a more top-down approach focusing on supervision and control, whereas Indonesia educates through empowerment, involving youth (students) directly in decision-making to promote ethical digital citizenship. In Singapore, Device
Management Applications (DMAs) are installed into secondary school students’ Personal Learning Devices (PLDs), such as Mobile Guardian (formerly) and Jamf (currently). These control students’ screentimes as well as ban specific websites, including social media and malicious sites, which potentially also contain mis- or disinformation. Certain apps deemed educational, such as Google Classroom, Gmail, Goodnotes etc. are only to be downloaded on PLDs. These applications also allow teachers to see what is on the students screens to ensure they are focussed and following the lesson. On the other hand, Indonesia is not as restrictive with PLDs. Instead, they focus on student protection with prevention methods such as training teachers, teaching media literacy, and confirming hoax news. Though effective at safeguarding digital security and helping students stay focused, there are still many limitations with these policies. For Singapore, this could be seen as a large number of online websites are restricted even if they are harmless. Another problem is that some parents opt for the option to have control of the iPad after school hours but with this option, there is still a risk of students being exposed to mis/disinformation as a wider range of websites has been available to them that may not be safe. For Indonesia, although implementation is nationwide, rural access still remains a challenge.
In Indonesia, young people do get a say in decisions. For instance, Deputy Minister of Population and Family Development, Ratu Ayu Isyana Bagoes Oka calls young people to actively contribute to the development of AI. “It is now up to the younger generation to make good use of them (programs that the government has prepared)”, she said. Supporting that, AI-volution is one of the many programs that empowers Indonesian youth to gain more knowledge in AI. AI-volution provides workshops while looking for 12 AI Ambassadors to host a responsible and ethical community while using AI to its full potential. A series of workshop has also been provided for college students. Most of them agree that AI has been helpful.
In Singapore, young people do get a say in these decisions as well. The National Youth Council has launched a youth panel including topics such as technology and digital well- being. Additionally, there are youth – oriented groups regarding the topics of AI that have been started by students, for students who share an active interest in the topic of AI. Singapore is also talking about how to include the younger generations in AI governance and policy making as a region wide study conducted has shown that including the youth is key to AI governance. There are a few limitations to these though, as the recommendations from these panels are all preliminary and the extent to which they do get the final say is still not seen. So overall, it can be said that the youth in Singapore do get a say but the final decision may not always be in correspondence with their suggestions.
To conclude, both Indonesia and Singapore have policies that address the spread of mis/disinformation, though differing slightly in emphasis. Concerning youth, or students, Singapore takes on a more authoritative approach to control and limit students’ online activity while Indonesia encourages a more independent usage. Whilst each of the countries’ governments has made policies, guidelines, and programs that supports the use of AI ethically, each user has the last say on these decisions.
Citations
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