December 16, 2025 | 11:33 am
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Three videos claiming that the Indonesian National Armed Forces (TNI) is investigating illegal logging as the cause of disasters in Sumatra circulated on TikTok (via the first account, the second account, and the third account) and on Facebook [archive] in early December 2025.
Two of the videos show three soldiers boarding a rubber boat. One of the soldiers states that he will thoroughly investigate the illegal logging that is suspected of causing flooding in Sumatra. Meanwhile, the other two videos show the TNI dismantling a logging operation backed by members of the police.
However, are these videos really related to the Indonesian National Armed Forces' efforts to uncover illegal logging in Sumatra?
FACT CHECKING
Tempo verified the content using visual analysis, AI detection tools, and artificial intelligence experts. The results show that the video was created using artificial intelligence (AI).
Video Verification
Video 1
Tempo found a series of irregularities in the first video through manual analysis. These irregularities included the changing shape of the vest and arm badge, fingers that appeared to be severed when the hand moved, and the surface of the water remaining calm when the rubber boat passed over it. Such indications are commonly detected in content generated by imitation intelligence.
Analysis using AI detection tools, Was It AI and AI or NOT, confirmed these findings. Both tools concluded that the content contained elements of AI with a probability of 98 to 99 percent.
Similarly, analysis using the Hive Moderation tool shows a 99.4 percent probability that the video contains elements of imitation intelligence. In fact, audio analysis using Hiya Deepfake Voice Detector shows that 97 percent of the voices in the video were created using generative AI.
Video 2
Manual analysis of the second video also revealed inconsistencies, namely a severed hand with an arm. The video also has a watermark in the lower right corner indicating that it was created with AI.
Analysis using AI detection tools, AI or NOT and Image Whisperer, found that the content was created with AI.
Another detection tool, Hive Moderation, shows a 99.9 percent probability that the video contains AI elements. Meanwhile, Hiya Deepfake Voice Detector states that 99 percent of the audio was created with generative AI.
Video 3
The third video also shows a similar anomaly, namely a severed hand. In addition, the police officers who appear in the video are wearing white hats and belts, which are the typical uniform of traffic police.
AI detection tools AI or NOT and Image Whisperer stated the content was generated using AI. Another tool, Hive Moderation, concluded the video had a 99.9 percent probability of using AI. Furthermore, Hiya Deepfake Voice Detector stated a 92 percent probability that the audio was generated using generative AI.
The Deepfakes Analysis Unit (DAU) of the Misinformation Combat Alliance, a cross-organizational alliance of media and industry in India, also stated that the three videos were the result of imitation. They reached this conclusion after analyzing the videos using a number of AI detection tools, namely Was It AI, Image Whisperer, and AI or Not. Two other tools, Hive AI image+deepfake classifier and Google SynthID, produced similar findings.
Manual analysis by the Deepfakes Analysis Unit shows that the faces of the three TNI soldiers in the video bear significant similarities, particularly in terms of cheekbones, nose lines, and lower jaws. “All of these findings indicate that the video is not authentic,” wrote the DAU analyst to Tempo on Friday, December 12, 2025.
Head of the TNI Information Center, Major General Freddy Ardianzah, confirmed that the video was fake content. He urged the public to access TNI information only through official channels.
According to Freddy, the TNI is currently focused on handling disasters together with the National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB) and other agencies. The TNI is working to rescue victims, expedite the distribution of logistics, and restore public facilities and services such as electricity, communications, and clean water.
CONCLUSION
Tempo's verification concludes that the narrative claiming the video shows three TNI soldiers investigating deforestation through illegal logging in Sumatra is false.
TEMPO FACT CHECK TEAM
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