Jakarta. Indonesia is mulling restricting its citizens from having multiple social media accounts -- a proposal that Presidential Chief of Staff Muhammad Qodari believes can do wonders on the country’s fight against hoaxes.

Some lawmakers not long ago pitched the idea of implementing a “one person, one account” policy as a cure for the rampant disinformation in Indonesia’s fast-growing internet landscape. Deputy Communications Minister Nezar Patria, too, recently revealed that the policy was under review. However, he later clarified that the government would not mind if people had second accounts as long as their digital identity was verified and traceable. Although the review is still underway, Qodari agreed that online anonymity had fueled the spread of hoaxes, saying that such measures would be necessary so people could not hide behind nameles accounts.

“Why is social media often a platform for slander and disinformation? Because there is room for anonymous accounts,” Qodari said on the margins of the 2025 DGVeRS forum in Jakarta on Saturday.

“In social psychology, anonymity gets rid of responsibility. People will be more likely to say things they wouldn’t say if they were not anonymous," he said.

Qodari, who had only joined the cabinet a few days ago, said that social media was pivotal for economic and networking purposes.

“But we have to manage the negative effects that may arise from social media use. … I have heard inputs on how we can link [people’s] identities with their social media accounts,” Qodari said.

Privacy Concern Remains

It is common for Indonesian youths to have multiple accounts on social media, many having different online personas for hobbies. Office worker Qonita admitted to the Jakarta Globe that she had three accounts on the popular platform Instagram: one dedicated to her personal life and the other to her K-pop hobby. The third account is exclusively for her cat-related content. However, the 28-year-old is against the plan, citing that she would like to keep her anonymity, even if the government still lets her run multiple accounts.

“That’d be very uncomfortable. The two other [cat and K-pop accounts] are solely for my hobbies. They are actually more private compared to the one that I use everyday,” Qonita told the Globe at the 2025 DGVeRS conference.

Indonesia is home to at least 229 million internet users, a 2025 report by internet service providers association APJII showed. The nationwide internet penetration also rose from 79.50 percent in 2024 to 80.66 percent the following year. Statistics platform Statista also reported that the country had approximately 143 million active social media users as of February 2025.

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