Fact-Checking and Political Misinformation: Evidence from Indonesia and Taiwan during the 2024 Election

Gita Aprinta E. Betseba

doi:10.55927/eajmr.v5i4.84

Authors

Gita Aprinta E. Betseba Universitas Semarang

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.55927/eajmr.v5i4.84

Keywords:

fact-checking, misinformation, political communication, democratic resilience

Abstract

This study examines how fact-checking institutions in Indonesia and Taiwan responded to the escalation of political misinformation during the 2024 election cycle. As digital media reshapes political contestation, both democracies face growing pressure to maintain information integrity. Employing a comparative qualitative design, this study analyzes outputs from Indonesia’s Mafindo and CekFakta with Taiwan’s FactCheck Center and Cofacts, supported by expert interviews and documentary reviews. The findings demonstrate contrasting misinformation ecologies and institutional responses. In Indonesia, misinformation is primarily generated domestically and is dominated by video-based false connections circulating on YouTube and TikTok. In contrast, Taiwan confronted coordinated geopolitical disinformation and AI-generated deepfakes aimed at democratic legitimacy and Taiwan–U.S. relations. While both countries rely on fact-checking as a civic defense, Taiwan’s verification ecosystem is more systematically integrated into a participatory governance model than Indonesia’s fragmented efforts. Drawing on Habermas’s public sphere, the study argues that fact-checking is a crucial pillar of democracy, especially regarding information in both countries.

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