The Meme Factory: The Indonesians Making Money Off Facebook Outrage
Indonesian social media users are monetizing Facebook engagement by creating and managing politically charged meme groups targeting Western audiences. These creators often use AI-generated content to drive clicks and ad revenue without having any actual interest in the political movements they promote.
Why it matters
This highlights how algorithmic monetization models on social media platforms can inadvertently incentivize the spread of political polarization and misinformation by foreign actors.
Exclusive: Adira says she doesn't know much about the countries she targets — or even their leaders. She's just looking for payouts from Meta, which rewards engagement.
By Ariel Bogle and Aqwam F Hanifan Sunday, August 9, 2026
From her home in West Java, Adira starts most mornings with a Facebook post about coffee and her busy day ahead. Then she gets to work.
In a Facebook group called Team Pauline Hanson, she shares a photo of the Australian senator and One Nation leader and asks her roughly 26,000 members what they think about Hanson's comments on Islam and the Australian way of life.
In a Charlie Kirk fan group, she shares an AI-generated image of a young girl wearing a hijab — similar to the one she wears in her profile picture — holding a sign asking if bacon can be served at school with Muslim students present.
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