Misrepresented Footage of Dedi Mulyadi Amid 2025 Floods
Introduction
Amid the catastrophic floods and landslides that struck Sumatra and Aceh in December 2025, social media platforms saw a surge in viral content purporting to show West Java Governor Dedi Mulyadi visiting the affected areas. Two widely shared videos circulated on TikTok[1] and Facebook, depicting crowds lining roads and apparently welcoming the Governor as he stepped out of his vehicle. The posts were accompanied by captions suggesting that these visits occurred in Aceh and Padang during the disaster response, positioning Dedi Mulyadi as actively engaged in flood relief. The timing of these posts, coinciding with public grief over the loss of more than 1,100 lives[2], lent emotional weight to the claims.
Verification of Video Sources
A detailed investigation reveals that the viral videos are not from December 2025, nor do they show locations in Sumatra or Aceh. The first clip, which appears to show the Governor interacting with enthusiastic crowds, was originally uploaded to TikTok[1] on September 6, 2025. Analysis of the video indicates it was filmed at the Suryalaya Islamic Boarding School in Tasikmalaya, West Java, more than 1,500 kilometers from the purported flood-hit regions. Similarly, the second video was traced back to June 13, 2025, documenting Dedi Mulyadi’s visit to Ciamis Regency during its 383rd anniversary celebrations. Reverse image searches, metadata analysis, and historical social media activity confirm that both videos predate the December floods by several months, disproving claims of a real-time disaster response.
Location and Context Analysis
Further scrutiny of the viral footage shows that the architectural elements, road layouts, and banners correspond to West Java locales, not Sumatra or Aceh. Google Maps Street View[1] corroborates these observations, confirming that the structures and surroundings in the videos are identical to those in Tasikmalaya and Ciamis. Additionally, the Governor’s clothing in the viral
clips does not match his attire during documented December 2025 visits to flood-affected regions. Such inconsistencies underscore that the videos were miscaptioned and deliberately repurposed to suggest a connection with the national disaster.
Impact and Misleading Narrative
Although Dedi Mulyadi did engage in legitimate disaster response efforts and posted verified footage of his activities in Sumatra and Aceh, the viral videos exploited the public’s emotional response to the tragedy. By falsely attributing earlier visits in West Java to the flood disaster, the content amplified political narratives and misled audiences during a period of heightened sensitivity. Misrepresentation of this kind can distort public perception and undermine trust in genuine humanitarian reporting, particularly when shared widely during a national crisis.
Conclusion
The claim that the viral videos show Dedi Mulyadi visiting flood-hit areas in Sumatra and Aceh in December 2025 is demonstrably false. Both videos were recorded months earlier in West Java, and the visual evidence, location verification, and clothing analysis all confirm the misrepresentation. While the Governor’s actual disaster response was documented and shared on official channels, the viral content relied on miscaptioning and selective framing to create a misleading narrative. This case exemplifies the importance of verifying temporal and locational context before accepting viral social media content as accurate.
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