Deepfakes and the Fragility of Democracy: Lessons from Indonesia for the Global South

Deepfakes and the Fragility of Democracy: Lessons from Indonesia for the Global South

In August 2025, I witnessed firsthand how Indonesia was shaken by a deepfake video of Finance Minister Sri Mulyani. The manipulated footage—showing her delivering a speech that claimed “teachers are a burden on the state”—circulated for several days before events escalated. By the time demonstrations reached the DPR (Dewan Perwakilan Rakyat, Indonesia’s House of Representatives), […] The post Deepfakes and the Fragility of Democracy: Lessons fro…