Session
Safer Internet Lab (SAIL), Centre for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS Indonesia)
- Pieter Alexander Pandie,(M), Researcher, Centre for Strategic and International Studies
- Dr. Bich Tran (F), Postdoctoral Fellow, Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, National University of Singapore
- Maria Elize H. Mendoza (F), Assistant Professor, Department of Political Science, University of the Philippines
- Fitriani (F), Senior Analyst, Australia Strategic Policy Institute
Beltsazar Krisetya (M), Researcher, Centre for Strategic and International Studies
Beltsazar Krisetya (M), Researcher, Centre for Strategic and International Studies
Patricia Larasgita (F), Centre for Strategic and International Studies
Targets: Information manipulation or disinformation impacts social order, peace, and stability in the Southeast Asian region. Building resilient and sustainable digital regional infrastructure is important to tackle these challenges, particularly in regions with maturing digital infrastructure on various facets: data, intermediaries, contents, and users. It is thus important to convene Southeast Asian stakeholders attending IGF 2024 to exchange best practices and continue the conversation on building a coherent regional resilience. Strengthening disinformation and information operation responses in Southeast Asia will foster peace nationally and regionally, broaden and strengthen the participation of developing countries in the institutions of global internet governance, and contribute to global peace by offering the "fourth way" of approach vis-a-vis global tech triopoly.
Theater
Seminar: 4 co-presenters will make an initial presentation on tackling information manipulation (ca. 10 mins), before opening the floor for questions and exchanges and input from participants in the audience.
Reflecting the multistakeholder nature of IGF, this session is co-organised by the Centre for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) and Google Asia-Pacific under the research consortium of the Safer Internet Lab (SAIL). Southeast Asia is increasingly a hotspot for Foreign Information Manipulation and Interference (FIMI) as great power competition escalates in the Indo-Pacific region. FIMI describes a pattern of mostly non-illegal but manipulative behaviour conducted by state or non-state actors and their proxies that threatens to impact values, procedures, and political processes negatively. While Southeast Asia is underrepresented in global internet governance discourse, it is experiencing significant digital growth and potential alongside vulnerabilities from both internal and external risks. Internally, the uneven terrain and divergent capabilities of ASEAN member states create challenges. Externally, rising FIMI activities, especially disinformation campaigns, pose threats to the region's stability and democratic resilience. A number of external actors are engaging in sharp power and corrosive capital across Southeast Asia's economic, political and information domains.
However, ten countries in the region differ in their interpretation of what constitutes hostile interference versus acceptable influence, stemming from its diverse socio-political contexts. To harness innovation and balance risks in Southeast Asia's digital space, it is critical to convene regional stakeholders to exchange knowledge and develop collective, multistakeholder responses. This session will share insights on varieties of FIMI across the ASEAN political and information landscape, economic and technological vulnerabilities that enable interference, best practices and solutions from local, national and regional perspectives, and recommendations to mitigate risks while preserving the benefits of digital growth. By fostering dialogue between state and non-state actors, this event aims to elevate Southeast Asian voices in the global discourse on safeguarding the digital ecosystem from manipulation. It will explore how to cooperatively tackle disinformation, protect democratic institutions, and build resilience - so that the region can continue to harness digital innovation as a powerful force for socio-economic development and progress. The session expects to receive valuable multi-stakeholder input to inform—and potentially even offer constructive and mutually beneficial solutions—the understanding and current policy and regulatory approaches to address information manipulation and disinformation in the Indo-Pacific region and beyond. This will be important to raise awareness of the global Internet Governance community, including the technical community and civil society, on the nature and ramifications of the current debates.
This hybrid workshop will be facilitated by two moderators—one on-site and one online—to ensure seamless integration and engagement of all participants. The session will begin with brief expert presentations, followed by an extended 10-15-minute Q&A and discussion. Moderators will actively encourage both onsite and online attendees to pose questions, provide input, and exchange ideas using tools like Mentimeter for polling and Padlet for crowdsourcing. Live streaming will enable global participation. At the session's conclusion, moderators will summarize key findings, recommendations, and future actions, which will be compiled and disseminated to participants post-event, along with a visual recording. This workshop aims to model inclusive, impactful hybrid discussions at IGF 2024 through skilled moderation, intuitive technology, and active audience contribution. The goal is to convene diverse Southeast Asian voices to jointly combat digital threats like foreign information manipulation and interference while amplifying the region's innovation potential.
Report
Addressing foreign information manipulation and interference (FIMI) in Southeast Asia requires strong regional cooperation on intelligence-sharing and capacity-building, paired with a multistakeholder approach that includes governments, private sector actors, and civil society.
To counter disinformation, particularly electoral disinformation, governments and civil society must prioritize enhanced media literacy campaigns and platform transparency measures, such as labeling.
As emerging technologies accelerate the spread of disinformation, it is critical to balance effective governance of the information environment with safeguarding democratic freedoms.
The session explored the phenomenon of information manipulation in Southeast Asia. A panel comprising experts from the Asia-Pacific region shared their perspectives on foreign information manipulation and interference (FIMI).
Pieter Pandie, a researcher from Safer Internet Lab (SAIL), opened the discussion by presenting preliminary findings on the rising cases of information manipulation in Southeast Asia, which are concurrent with heightened geopolitical tensions and international conflicts. He noted that FIMI remains under-discussed in the region and highlighted the reliance on national legislative approaches, with minimal use of attribution. He concluded that addressing FIMI requires: (1) a multistakeholder approach, (2) recognizing the impact of emerging technology on the speed of disinformation spread, and (3) balancing effective governance of the information landscape with the safeguarding of democratic freedoms.
In addition to Pieter, Fitriani, a senior analyst from the Australian Strategic Policy Institute, shared Australia’s strategies, including legislative efforts, public and joint attribution, and fact-checking campaigns. She emphasized the relevance of these practices for Southeast Asia and outlined five key recommendations: clear regulations, regional intelligence-sharing, media literacy, platform labeling, and a multistakeholder framework.
Maria Elize Mendoza, an assistant professor from the University of the Philippines Diliman, who joined online from the Philippines, discussed the role of social media in electoral disinformation, noting that the Philippines has a high number of active social media users. She highlighted that disinformation and influence operations in the Philippines are mostly domestically created and spread by social media influencers, bloggers, celebrities, digital workers, independent practitioners, or even ordinary Filipinos who earn a living by creating and spreading disinformation. While disinformation in the Philippines is primarily domestically created, FIMI cases have not yet made significant impacts on the country.
On efforts to address the issue, Maria explained that the government has attempted to tackle electoral disinformation but has not yet succeeded. Meanwhile, civil society continues to put efforts into ensuring the integrity of facts.
The discussion was further enriched by Bich Tran, a Postdoctoral Fellow at the National University of Singapore, who brought valuable insights from Vietnam. She explained Vietnam's information landscape, which consists of three main components: domestic media, foreign media with Vietnamese Language Service, and social media. She then highlighted Vietnam’s concerns about China’s disinformation campaigns, particularly regarding the South China Sea disputes and ‘peaceful evolution.
The session sparked engaging discussions, with attendees raising questions about specific cases of disinformation, how digital platforms should address these challenges, and the need for a platform to facilitate ongoing dialogue on the issue.
As the session concluded, moderator Beltsazar Krisetya, the principal researcher of Safer Internet Lab, reminded participants of the broader implications of disinformation. He emphasized that disinformation cannot be treated solely as an information issue. Collaboration across sectors is essential, and the discussion must extend beyond the room and the Southeast Asia region.