When Hoaxes Travel Faster Than Truth
(Reflection on National Cryptography Day, April 4)
By Ali Aminulloh
In a country flooded with notifications every morning, truth often lags behind sensation. A single chain message can ignite emotions before it can be verified. In the post-truth era, when opinions are often more trusted than facts, Indonesian society stands at a crossroads: become victims of the flow of hoaxes, or become guardians of awareness.
It is at this point that the meaning of National Cryptography Day finds its deepest relevance.
Celebrated every April 4, National Cryptography Day is not simply a historical marker of the establishment of the Code Service in 1946, which became the forerunner of the National Cyber and Crypto Agency (BSSN). It is a reminder that since the beginning of independence, Indonesia has recognized one important principle: information is power, and maintaining its truth is part of maintaining sovereignty.
In the past, threats came in the form of interception of secret state messages. Now, these threats have taken on a more subtle form: hoaxes, disinformation, manipulation of public opinion, and even invisible cyberattacks. While codes were once used to secure messages between state elites, today “encryption” has become a necessity for every citizen.
We live in a drastically changed communications landscape. Information no longer flows from one direction but spreads wildly from various sources, many of which are not necessarily credible. This is where the post-truth phenomenon finds its stage: when emotions, personal beliefs, and group sentiments dominate over objective facts.
As a result, society becomes vulnerable, not because of a lack of intelligence, but because of a lack of vigilance.
National Encryption Day 2026 actually carries a highly contextual message: the importance of information security literacy as a bulwark of civilization. Seminars, cybersecurity training, and technology exhibitions are not merely ceremonies, but efforts to build collective awareness.
However, this awareness should not stop at the technical level.
This is where the concept of the trilogy of awareness developed by Sheikh Al Zaytun becomes relevant as a cultural and spiritual approach to facing the era of information disruption.
First, philosophical awareness: the ability to not react to every piece of information received. In the context of hoaxes, this means refraining from immediately believing, let alone spreading, information.
Second, ecological awareness: understanding that every piece of information we share impacts others. A single hoax can damage trust, divide society, and even trigger social conflict.
Third, social awareness, namely the awareness that every action, including communication, has a moral dimension and accountability before God and has a broad impact on society. From this perspective, spreading false information is not merely a social wrong, but also a violation of spiritual ethics.
If in the past, codes protected state messages, today it is awareness that must protect society.
Amidst the rapid flow of information, Indonesia needs not only advanced technology, but also people who are digitally savvy, emotionally mature, and spiritually clear.
National Code Day, ultimately, does not belong solely to code experts or state institutions. It belongs to all of us. It belongs to every individual who daily produces and consumes information.
Because in this era, safeguarding the truth is no longer the task of a few.
It is a shared responsibility.
And perhaps, amidst the noise of the digital world, the most important form of communication today is our ability to remain true to the facts, faithful to the truth, and wise in sharing.**
Indonesia, April 4, 2026
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