Balikpapan. A viral video circulating on social media falsely depicts severe flooding in Indonesia's future capital, Nusantara, in Sepaku, East Kalimantan. The footage, which appears to show the Garuda Palace and Swissotel Nusantara submerged in water, was revealed to be AI-generated misinformation aimed at provoking public concern.

The fabricated video spread rapidly through Facebook and WhatsApp groups, prompting the Nusantara Capital Authority (OIKN) to issue a warning against hoaxes.

Troy Pantouw, Special Staff for Public Communication at OIKN, confirmed that the video is entirely fake and urged the public to remain vigilant against misleading content.

“The public should not be easily deceived by videos and fake news spread through certain chat groups using emotional narratives,” Troy said.

He condemned the dissemination of such content, calling it an irresponsible act designed to create unnecessary panic. While respecting freedom of expression, he stressed the importance of maintaining ethical responsibility in digital communication.

To access accurate updates on Nusantara, he encouraged the public to refer to official sources, including the OIKN website (www.ikn.go.id) and its social media platforms (@ikn._id, @OIKN_IKN, and @investnusantara). He also warned that legal action would be taken against those responsible for spreading false information.

Boosting Digital Literacy to Combat Hoaxes

In response to the hoax, Troy emphasized the need for improved digital literacy to prevent the spread of misinformation. He introduced the "ABC" method for verifying content:

• A (Observe): Analyze the images or videos for signs of manipulation or inconsistencies.
• B (Read): Examine the information thoroughly and check for logical inconsistencies.
• C (Check): Verify the source—if no credible source is cited, the content is likely a hoax.