Jakarta. A technical glitch on Google’s currency converter on Saturday caused widespread confusion as it displayed an inaccurate rupiah exchange rate of Rp 8,170 per US dollar. The rate was significantly lower than the official exchange rates published by Bank Indonesia (BI) and financial data providers.

In reality, Bank Indonesia recorded the rupiah’s selling rate at Rp 16,340.30 per dollar and its buying rate at Rp 16,177.70 as of Jan. 31. Meanwhile, Bloomberg data showed the rupiah depreciating 0.3 percent, closing at Rp 16,304 per dollar on the same day.

The erroneous rate, which suggested a more than 50 percent appreciation of the rupiah, quickly went viral across social media platforms and WhatsApp groups, raising questions about its accuracy. The glitch also affected other currencies, including the euro, which was displayed at Rp 8,348. In comparison, banks listed the euro at Rp 16,889.

William Hartanto, founder of WH Project, attributed the incorrect rates to a technical error in Google’s system, adding that similar issues had been reported with US stock data on the platform. “This is clearly a technical error. The actual exchange rate data from other reliable sources remains consistent,” William said.

Bank Indonesia responded to the issue by clarifying that the exchange rate displayed on Google was not accurate and urged the tech giant to rectify the error promptly. “We are coordinating with Google Indonesia to address this discrepancy and ensure corrections are made as soon as possible,” said BI’s Communication Department Head, Ramdan Denny Prakoso.

The glitch occurred amidst broader market concerns over the strength of the US dollar, fueled by geopolitical tensions involving BRICS nations. Despite Indonesia’s recent inclusion in BRICS, William argue that market anxieties over US policies will make a near-term appreciation of the rupiah unlikely.

As of Saturday evening, Google had yet to issue an official statement regarding the error.

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