Expert: Child protection law in the digital realm is a long-term investment

Jambi City (ANTARA) - A law expert from the University of Jambi’s Faculty of Law, Professor Usman, has commended the government’s steps in producing regulations related to the child protection law in the digital realm, as it serves as a long-term investment in the nation’s successor generations.

“The massive development of digital technology presents a new challenge for children’s growth and development in Indonesia,” he said in Jambi on Saturday.

He described digital technology as a gateway to various contents in the virtual world.

“Our world today is no longer just the real world, but the virtual world, and its gateway is digital. The contents within it not only have the potential to damage children’s morals but are also often exploited by criminals,” he stated.

Therefore, he emphasised the importance of the state’s presence through strong regulations to protect children from threats of crime and negative content in the virtual world.

The gateway to the virtual world, namely digital devices, he said, has now become an inseparable part of children’s lives.

“Today’s children find it hard to detach from gadgets or television. Without strict control, exposure to unhealthy content can hinder children’s positive development,” he said.

That criminal law expert assessed that the responsibility for protection cannot be entirely shouldered by the family environment, considering that in practice not all families have the capacity or ability to continuously monitor their children’s digital activities.

Therefore, he said, the state’s role becomes important through protective policies.

In addition, the former Dean of the University of Jambi’s Faculty of Law viewed the regulation on child protection in the digital realm as a long-term investment in the nation’s successor generations.

Although children are required to be technology-literate, he said, protection of their mental health and future remains the top priority.

The presence of a specific legal umbrella regarding child protection in the digital realm is hoped to serve as a defence fortress for Indonesia’s golden generation in facing increasingly heavy global challenges in the future.

“The government’s policies aimed at protecting children in the digital world are very positive. This will not hinder children’s creativity; instead, it ensures they grow up in a safe digital environment so that their future is not ruined by cybercrimes,” he said.