BACKGROUND & PROJECT DESCRIPTION

In the 2019 general election, a contentious race between the President of Indonesia, Joko Widodo (also known as Jokowi), and former military commander Prabowo Subianto was marred by information disorders. Despite Jokowi’s victory, Subianto contested the result, alleging election fraud. Subsequent protests by thousands of Subianto supporters in Jakarta turned violent, resulting in at least six deaths and over 200 injuries during clashes with security forces.

Disinformation and misinformation allegedly played a role in the event, with social media being a platform for spreading conspiracy theories and calls for violence. One of which included a call for protesters to attack prominent Jakarta sights by hiding explosives in items such as books and water bottles. Anti-Chinese sentiments emerged, fueled by false claims, including one alleging that the Indonesian military detained Chinese immigrants creating fake ID cards to vote for Widodo.

Five years later, it is expected that the 2024 election would not be exempted from the intensity of information disorders, locally known as “hoax”. With the potential for the dissemination of information disorders and hate speech, questions arise about how social media platforms will address the situation in Indonesia, where over 200 million people are set to vote on February 14, 2024.

As part of the 5-part series on social media accountability in Southeast Asian elections, DigitalReach, on behalf of the Southeast Asian Coalition on Tech Accountability (SEACT), is seeking for a short-term consultant to document the accountability of social media platforms during the forthcoming 2024 Indonesian General Election. This project aims to assess how social media platforms address issues related to information disorders and problematic content. This will involve identifying prominent narratives during the election and examining the methods used for their dissemination.

OBJECTIVES

• To explore social media platforms accountability in the 2024 Indonesian General Election.
• To address the areas that social media platforms have overlooked in the 2024 Election.
• To use the findings for advocacy for greater accountability of social media platforms under the SEACT Coalition.

WORK DESCRIPTION

The researcher will be responsible for the project on the following tasks;

• Document the situation on social media accountability during the Indonesia election using mixed approaches such as online research, observations, and in-depth interviews for the election.
• Analyze the situation based on the given framework.
• Write a report based on the findings.

• QUALIFICATIONS

• Fluency in Bahasa Indonesia and English
• Demonstrable knowledge of Indonesian politics and its dynamics
• Have at least a bachelor’s degree in political science or related fields.
• Have proven research and written communication skills in English.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office or other similar software.
• Demonstrable knowledge of human rights issues in Indonesia.
• Being able to work remotely.

TIMELINE AND DELIVERABLES

The project period is expected to be six months (December 2023–May 2024). This is subject to change based on unexpected political events that may arise. The initial timeline is expected as follows:

TIMELINE	TASKS
December 2023 – February 2024	The researcher monitors the situations during the campaign period and after the winner is announced. The background
March 31, 2024	The first draft is submitted with key narratives and tactics identified.
April 30, 2024	The second draft is submitted with the key analysis on social media accountability during the election.
May 31, 2024	The complete final draft is submitted.

CONTRACT DETAILS

The researcher will work from January 1–May 31, 2024, during which the consultant is expected to complete the tasks described in the Timeline & Deliverables table as agreed upon with DigitalReach, the SEACT’s secretariat.  The researcher will work under the direct supervision of the Executive Director. The work is full time (40 hours a week) and the consultant is expected to be responsive to communications and provide updates related to the work on a weekly basis. The compensation is 10,800 USD (ten thousand eight hundred US dollars) for completing the tasks.