Indonesia's Ministry of Communications and Digital Affairs is rolling out new steps to protect children in the digital space, tackling threats such as online gambling, pornography, cyberbullying and sexual violence.
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| Indonesia has set up a special team tasked with monitoring restrictions, including regulations related to child protection in the digital space. (Source: Tempo) |
According to Tempo , Communications and Digital Minister Meutya Hafid has just signed a decree to establish a special group tasked with monitoring restrictions, including regulations related to the protection of Indonesian children in the digital space. The group began operating on February 3, with members including representatives of ministries, scholars, child educators, child protection organizations, and child psychology organizations.
Earlier, President Prabowo Subianto instructed the Ministry of Communications and Digital Affairs to come up with regulations on child protection in the digital space as soon as possible. "We have been given two months to finalize the regulations," Meutya said.
Notably, the regulation applies age restrictions on social media access, aimed at mainly addressing the issue of child pornography as the archipelago country is currently ranked fourth in the world in terms of access to this content.
According to data from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) in 2024, the total number of child pornography cases in Indonesia in the past four years has reached more than 5 million cases.
Results from a survey by the Association of Indonesian Internet Service Providers (APJII) show that Internet access in this Southeast Asian country has increased to 79.5% by 2024. Of which, the rate in Generation Z or those born between 1997 and 2012 is over 87%, and those born after 2013 is over 48%.
Indonesia is among 30 countries that have adopted the initiative to protect children in the digital space. Participating in drafting the regulation, along with the Ministry of Communications and Digital, are the Indonesian Child Protection Commission (KPAI), the Ministry of Women's Empowerment and Child Protection, the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education, the Ministry of Religious Affairs, and the Ministry of Health.
Indonesia is not the only country considering stricter regulations to protect children online. According to the Jakarta Globe , many governments have adopted or proposed similar measures.
In the US, for example, states such as Utah, Arkansas and Louisiana have passed laws requiring minors to have parental consent to create social media accounts. In the UK, online safety laws require stricter age verification for social media users and hold platforms accountable for protecting children from harmful content.
In 2023, the French government approved a law requiring parental consent for social media accounts of users under 15. Spain is currently considering a nationwide social media ban for children under 14, citing mental health concerns.
Source: https://baoquocte.vn/indonesia-determined-to-create-an-toan-circle-for-children-on-khong-gian-so-303165.html
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