Mafindo
Mafindo is a fact-checking and hoax awareness initiative founded in Indonesia in 2016. It addresses the critical need to counter misinformation and disinformation in a country where 70% of citizens are active on social media as their primary source of information. Despite this high social media penetration, Indonesia’s media literacy levels are comparatively low, underscoring the importance of initiatives like Mafindo, which primarily targets demographics typically overlooked: young people and stay-at-home women.
Leveraging a predominantly volunteer-based model, Mafindo aims to cultivate a community of social change agents by promoting critical thinking, hoax awareness, and fact-checking skills through various channels such as advocacy, the development of online tools, research, on- and offline campaigns, and workshops. Since its inception, Mafindo has trained thousands of young people and women to discern hoaxes and act as influencers to encourage similar practices within their communities.
At present, Mafindo boasts a volunteer force exceeding a thousand individuals, coordinated by a professional team spanning over 20 field offices nationwide. The organisation’s online platform has attracted over 95,000 registered users actively engaged in fact-checking and awareness-raising efforts.
However, Mafindo’s commitment to truth-telling has not been without its challenges. Regulation is immature and misinformation is raging amidst declining democracy indexes, the increase of misleading AI-generated content, and religious and ethnic polarisation.
Given Indonesia’s status as one of the largest democracies globally, Mafindo’s work remains crucial in upholding transparency, accountability, and informed public discourse.
Organisation website: Mafindo – Masyarakat Antifitnah Indonesia
