Indonesia Proposes Risk-Based Global Standard for Child Protection in Digital Space

Minister of Communication and Digital (Menkomdigi) Meutya Hafid has affirmed Indonesia’s commitment to building a global standard for child protection in the digital space through a risk-based regulatory approach and collaboration with digital platforms. According to her, child protection cannot stop at drafting rules but must be realised through technological solutions capable of reducing risks from the moment a digital service is designed. “Digital platforms possess the technological knowledge and capability to present features that can lower these risks from the very beginning of their product design,” Meutya said in a confirmed statement in Jakarta on Friday. She made the remarks while receiving a visit from Google Vice President of Government Affairs and Public Policy Markham Erickson in Central Jakarta. Meutya stated that Indonesia wants to present a digital governance model that is safe, inclusive, and can serve as a reference for other countries. She explained that Indonesia has chosen a risk-based approach in regulating child protection in the digital space, rather than imposing a blanket ban on the use of technology. According to her, this approach ensures that protection is implemented proportionally while maintaining space for innovation and the development of the digital ecosystem. Indonesia wants to demonstrate that child safety and technological advancement can go hand in hand. “We want Indonesia to become a model for other countries in terms of regulation to protect children in the digital space. The approach we have chosen is not a blanket ban, but a risk-based approach so that the digital space remains safe while simultaneously supporting innovation,” Meutya said. She explained that digital platforms bear a significant responsibility in ensuring user safety, especially for children who are part of the digital ecosystem. Meutya outlined that various technological innovations, such as screen time management features and parental supervision tools, are crucial for strengthening child protection. She stressed that these innovations must continue to be developed and become best practices that can be applied more widely. “If we can build an effective model of features to lower risks for children, this model can become a reference, not only in Indonesia but also in various other countries,” she said. She reiterated that Indonesia’s approach is not about restricting children’s access to technology, but ensuring that every digital service has governance capable of protecting users according to their level of risk. Meutya noted that child protection in the digital space has become a global concern requiring cross-border cooperation, and Indonesia is taking an active position in building global digital governance that prioritises child safety. “I do not want the movement to protect children to stall because the approaches taken in various countries are not appropriate. Therefore, Indonesia wants to offer a balanced model that protects children while still providing room for technological innovation to develop responsibly,” she asserted. Responding to this, Google Vice President of Government Affairs and Public Policy Markham Erickson appreciated Indonesia’s approach, which prioritises risk mitigation over blanket bans. He noted that a risk-based approach allows child protection to be applied more precisely according to the characteristics of each digital service, while still maintaining children’s access to educational and beneficial content. “We consider the risk-based approach to be a smarter approach. Regulation does not have to be a blanket ban, but can be focused on the factors that truly pose risks to children,” Markham said.