Keadilan Hukum Viralitas dalam Perspektif Perlindungan Terhadap Korban di Indonesia: Refleksi atas Fenomena ‘No Viral, No Justice’

Abstract

The phenomenon of virality-based justice has increasingly emerged in law enforcement practices in Indonesia, marked by a tendency for cases to receive serious attention and handling only after becoming viral on social media. This condition raises questions regarding the effectiveness of the legal system in providing fair and equitable protection for victims. This study aims to examine how virality-based justice influences victim protection and its implications for the principle of justice within the Indonesian legal system. The method employed is normative legal research using conceptual and statutory approaches, analyzed qualitatively. The findings indicate that reliance on virality has the potential to create disparities in protection, where victims whose cases do not attract public attention tend to be neglected. Moreover, this phenomenon fosters social pressure that may affect the independence of law enforcement authorities. Consequently, justice is no longer determined solely by formal legal mechanisms but is also influenced by the dynamics of public opinion in the digital sphere. This study concludes that virality-based justice poses a serious challenge to the Indonesian legal system, as it risks undermining the principle of equality before the law, thereby necessitating stronger and more consistent victim protection mechanisms that do not depend on the level of a case’s virality.