The Ministry of Communication and Informatics has taken proactive measures to address the potential threat posed by robot or bot programs during the forthcoming 2024 General Election. Bots are automated software applications capable of performing repetitive tasks over networks and operating without manual human intervention.

Usman Kansong, an official from the Ministry of Communication and Informatics, explained, "There is a platform that can disseminate information to one million people with a single click. We have already engaged with the platform to delay the release of such an application, and we will revisit the issue after the conclusion of the elections." This statement was made after a focused group discussion (FGD) with the theme "The Role of Government Media in Ensuring a Peaceful 2024 Election" in Jakarta on Thursday.

Usman emphasized that bot anticipation should involve technological solutions. While it's acknowledged that bot programs can offer benefits to society, the technology can also be misused for negative purposes. Therefore, the excessive dissemination of information is a concern for the Ministry of Communication and Informatics and needs to be proactively addressed.

"In practice, from a positive perspective, we must be prepared, particularly for the negative aspects. These bots can spread hoaxes, influence one million people, and these individuals may subsequently propagate them. It's a threat," he stated.

To address this issue, the Ministry of Communication and Informatics intends to establish regulations concerning the ownership of bot platforms. Under these regulations, ownership and usage of bot applications will be restricted, particularly for entities like the government and security agencies. Pricing will also be set at a higher level. Usman emphasized, "We must undertake this selection because, otherwise, it could be very dangerous."