TEMPO.CO, Jakarta – A video showing a ship dumping a large pile of garbage into the open sea has been widely circulated on various social media platforms since late March 2026. Its contents went viral on Instagram. [archive]Facebook, Threads, TikTok, and X claim their location is in Indonesian waters.
The video includes a voiceover expressing public concern over the discovery of trash that appears to have come from overseas. “The discovery of trash that appears to have come from overseas in Indonesian waters has sparked public concern. While the source of the trash is still under investigation, there are growing calls for the government to thoroughly investigate the matter and strengthen maritime surveillance to protect the environment and national sovereignty,” the post’s caption reads.
But did this massive dumping of trash actually occur in Indonesian waters?
fact check
tempo We verified content through visual analytics, AI discovery tools, and social media search. In fact, Indonesia is facing a marine debris problem, but this video is the product of an AI-generated image.
tempovisual analysis revealed discrepancies in discarded trash. Most of it was gray, in contrast to the colorful nature of typical marine debris. The objects appeared stationary, as if they were firmly attached to the surface of the ocean, even though they were being battered by the waves.
After conducting visual analysis, Tempo reviewed the conversations on the X platform about the video. Several netizens shared screenshots from when the video was first uploaded to social media platforms. An early version displayed the caption “Created with AI,” indicating that the video was created using AI.
The video was first shared by X’s Kannada account on February 23, 2026, before being circulated in Indonesia. Kannada is spoken by residents of the Indian state of Karnataka.
The Hive moderation tool confirmed that AI-generated content in a 12-second video made up 99.9% of the video.
The AI or Not tool also found that 71% of the content was likely generated by AI using the Suno audio model.
marine debris crisis
tempo According to a report, data from the National Waste Management Information System (SIPSN) 2025 shows that the national waste generation amounted to 50 million tons per year. Nearly half of this, around 20 million tonnes, enters the ocean via river flows, coastal areas and port activities.
This pollution not only disfigures the environment but also reduces fish populations. In the waters around Java Island, schools of fish are reported to be moving south, west, and east.
In response to this situation, the Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries (KKP) launched the Clean, Healthy and Waste-Free Seas (Laut Sebasah) program. The government, working with the private sector and NGOs, aims to reduce marine waste by 40 per cent by 2027 and 70 per cent by 2029.
However, Ecoton’s executive director Dar Sejorini believes that the government’s efforts have not yet yielded significant results. According to her, current efforts are still not systematic and large-scale enough. Common approaches tend to view plastic pollution solely as a waste management issue.
This situation has led to a mismatch between the amount of waste and local treatment capacity, with the national average still remaining below 25%. As a result, policies to limit the use of plastic while shopping have been ineffective.
“More than 100 prefectures and cities already have local regulations restricting single-use plastics, but these regulations remain mere rules that are not strictly and comprehensively enforced,” Dar said on Friday, April 3, 2026.
conclusion
tempoThe review concluded that claims that foreign waste is being dumped into Indonesian waters via ships are false. error.
tempo fact check team
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