The outcome of the 2019 elections led to a public uproar wds after Prabowo that declared he
would challenge the results. Deadly riots soon broke out in his support, leaving 6 dead and over
200 wounded. Fake news and conspiracy theories virally spread in the early stages of the riots,
claiming the police were shooting protesters inside mosques, and that many of them were
secretly Chinese soldiers (Coconuts Jakarta 2019). The rapid spread of fake news urged the
authorities to restrict the use of WhatsApp and Instagram for two days in an attempt to prevent
the spread of more disinformation and decrease the level of violence (Singh & Russell, 2019).
Another instance of an internet shutdown occurred three months later, with the intention of
silencing protests in West Papua. Thousands took to the streets in late August 2019 to protest
against government discrimination and in favor of self-determination and independence. In
addition to security forces, the government responded with connectivity blockings until
authorities deemed the security situation in the region “recovered” (Netblocks 2019).
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