iDIEC says implementation of PP Tunas must have a positive impact

Jakarta (ANTARA) - The Chairman of the Indonesia Digital Empowering Community (iDIEC), Tesar Sandikapura, stated that the implementation of the PP Tunas regulation proposed by the Ministry of Communication and Digital must have a positive impact on both the industries that may be affected and the public. “This regulation must not become ‘unbalanced’; it often happens that when a new regulation is introduced, the impact is most felt by local industries—that is the reality,” Tesar said during a discussion on Creating a Healthy Gaming Ecosystem in Jakarta on Wednesday. He explained that new regulations sometimes make it difficult for local industries to adapt to the changes and could render them uncompetitive. Therefore, the government needs to conduct regular open consultations with affected industry groups, companies, and consumers until a fair and balanced point is reached for all parties involved. He believes that the PP Tunas regulation, which is already in effect, was created to protect Indonesian children from excessive digital consumption under the age of 16 and to accommodate the rapid growth of the local and global gaming industry. “What is protected? First, the protection of children in the digital space, the responsibility of digital platforms to regulate it, and the use of children’s access and data to prevent misuse by irresponsible parties. This regulation is not only for online games but also for social media, videos, music, or other digital applications,” he said. In addition, PP Tunas is expected to impact rules on children’s gadget addiction, where weekly gadget usage for gaming among children is around seven hours per week. Tesar said that PP Tunas also requires collaboration between the government, academics, the gaming industry, and communities, particularly parents who still supervise children under 16 years old. “In my view, PP Tunas is an important step because without it, it would be dangerous; the effects of children’s exposure may not be felt this year but could be felt in 10 years’ time, and with regulation, it may reduce the impact,” he said.