Source: The Guardian
BY Kate Lamb in Jakarta
Police in Indonesia make arrests as Guardian investigation reveals fake Twitter accounts and violent propaganda
Police in Indonesia believe they have uncovered a clandestine fake news operation designed to corrupt the political process and destabilise the government.
In a string of arrests across the archipelago in recent weeks, authorities have revealed the inner workings of a self-proclaimed cyber-jihadist network known as the Muslim Cyber Army (MCA).
The network is accused of spreading fake news and hate speech to inflame religious and ethnic schisms; fan paranoia around gay men and lesbians, alleged communists and Chinese people; and spread defamatory content to undermine the president.
Police say the network was orchestrated through a central Whatsapp group called the Family MCA.
Categories: Asia, hate speech, Indonesia, The Muslim Times