The 2024 Regional Election in Banten, Indonesia, has concluded, with Andra Soni and Dimyati securing 55.88% of the votes—equivalent to approximately 3.1 million ballots. Meanwhile, Airin and Ade received 44.12%, or about 2.45 million votes. However, discussions surrounding the role of buzzers on social media in influencing voter behavior have raised concerns among political observers.
Drone Emprit’s data analysis revealed that both candidate pairs experienced predominantly positive sentiments on social media. Airin-Ade recorded 88% positive sentiment, while Andra-Dimyati garnered 83%. Despite this, negative narratives also circulated during the campaign. Airin-Ade were criticized for issues related to political dynasties and land disputes, while Andra-Dimyati faced criticism for Dimyati’s controversial remarks about women and allegations of vote-buying practices.
According to Drone Emprit, buzzers played an active role in shaping these narratives. Airin-Ade’s buzzers focused on promoting a positive image of the candidates, while Andra-Dimyati’s buzzers engaged in both positive reinforcement and attacking their opponents. When asked for details regarding the accounts involved, Drone Emprit declined to disclose any specific information.
How Buzzers Operate
Eep Saefulah Fatah, CEO of PolMark Indonesia, shared his insights on the role of buzzers in political campaigns, noting that their presence has been consistent since the 2014 presidential election. “Buzzer is used to make an impression for candidates who have a large and responsive supporter,” said Fatah.
He explained that buzzers typically operate on an ad hoc basis during election periods. “They usually recruit a large number of people. They are tasked only to be the brainware or hardware, such as the widely used smartphones, and the software that is already available like social media. Then, they also have their own way of blasting among them. They work with a pattern like that,” Fatah revealed.
An informant familiar with buzzer operations alleged that several buzzer networks are managed by prominent survey institutions, including IndoBarometer and the Circle of Indonesian Surveys (LSI Denny JA). Efforts to reach Muhammad Qodari, Executive Director of IndoBarometer, and Denny JA for confirmation were unsuccessful. Despite multiple attempts via WhatsApp, Instagram, and email, no response was received.
Impact on Democracy
Legal expert Bambang Widjojanto emphasized that buzzer activities could be prosecuted if they involve defamation or cause public unrest. “Well, if someone is spreading fake news, it should be linked again with the qualifications. Does it cause a disturbance or not? If it falls under the previous qualifications, he could be charged with a criminal offense. If someone feels disturbed by his statement, the aggrieved person can file a lawsuit,” Widjojanto explained.
Widjojanto also suggested that non-governmental organizations could take legal action on behalf of the public through legal standing mechanisms. “These NGOs can represent the public interest, so later in court, it will be tested whether the lawsuit indeed proves to be detrimental to the community,” he said.
He further recommended clearer regulations to govern buzzer activities in political campaigns. “It is regulated within a regulation or policy in the form of a General Election Commission (KPU) or the Election Supervisory of the Republic Indonesia (Bawaslu). You must not use any methods that can deceive the public and influence their choices,” Widjojanto advised.
The Banten regional election recorded a voter participation rate of 66.2%, with 5,908,176 voters casting their ballots from a total of 8,926,662 registered voters. However, approximately 356,492 votes were declared invalid, prompting calls for enhanced voter education to minimize invalid votes in future elections.
The role of buzzers in Banten election highlights the evolving use of technology in political campaigns. While buzzers can be an effective tool for mobilizing support, experts and legal analysts agree that stronger regulations and increased media literacy are necessary to maintain a fair and transparent electoral process.
