Indonesia will implement temporary guidelines for child protection on social media platforms while preparing legislation that will set a minimum age for users of these platforms. This was stated by the Minister of Communication and Information, Meutya Hafid.
The plan follows discussions with President Prabowo Subianto regarding efforts to protect children online. According to Hafid, the discussions represent the government's initial step toward enforcing age restrictions through regulations, which will eventually be followed by the establishment of child protection laws for social media.
This initiative has received full support from President Prabowo, who is highly concerned with children's well-being and supports digital protection measures. Hafid added that the ministry will soon draft government regulations that include stronger measures to enhance child protection in the digital environment.
The Indonesian government also plans to issue regulations requiring digital platforms, including social media, to comply with these child protection guidelines, although the details of these policies have not yet been announced.
Legislative Support for Social Media Limits
Ahmad Heryawan, Vice Chairman of Commission I of the Indonesian House of Representatives (DPR), stated that the issuance of government regulations (PP) under Law No. 1 of 2024 concerning Information and Electronic Transactions (ITE) is expected to limit children's use of social media. The regulations will focus on child protection in the digital space by establishing age restrictions for social media users that must be adhered to by electronic system providers.
However, he explained that Commission I has not yet drafted specific regulations regarding social media restrictions and is awaiting the government to formulate the derivative rules from the ITE Law.
Heryawan also emphasized the importance of an effective verification process and monitoring system to mitigate the impact of social media on children, in line with Article 16A of the ITE Law.
Children's Social Media Use Surges in Indonesia
A survey conducted by the Indonesian Internet Service Providers Association (APJII) revealed that Indonesia's internet penetration rate, with a population of approximately 280 million, reached 79.5% last year. The survey, which involved 8,700 respondents, also showed that nearly 50% of children under the age of 12 who are tech-savvy have accessed the internet.
Some of them are even using social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok. This data highlights the high level of exposure children have to the digital world, further underscoring the importance of implementing child protection guidelines on digital platforms.
Countries Start Considering Social Media Age Limits
This plan follows Australia's move to ban children under the age of 16 from accessing social media, with fines imposed on major tech companies such as Meta (Instagram and Facebook) and ByteDance (TikTok) if they fail to prevent children from accessing their platforms.
In November, Australia passed a law requiring social media companies to block access for children under 16, with fines of up to A$49.5 million (approximately US$30 million) for violations.
Australia began testing methods to enforce this law this month, with the expectation that the ban will be fully implemented within a year. This legislation sets an example for other countries considering age restrictions for social media use, amid growing concerns about its impact on adolescent mental health.
In Southeast Asia, Singapore is also evaluating age restriction policies for social media access as a step to protect young users from similar risks.
