Indonesia Proposes Risk-Based Global Standard for Child Protection in Digital Space
The approach we have chosen is not a comprehensive ban, but a risk-based approach so that the digital space remains safe while also supporting innovation.
Jakarta (ANTARA) - Minister of Communications and Digital (Menkomdigi) Meutya Hafid 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 digital services are designed.
“Digital platforms have the knowledge and technological capability to deliver features that can lower these risks from the early stages of product design,” said Meutya in a statement confirmed in Jakarta on Friday.
She conveyed this while receiving a courtesy visit from Google’s Vice President of Government Affairs and Public Policy, Markham Erickson, in Central Jakarta.
Meutya stressed that Indonesia wishes to present a model of digital governance that is safe, inclusive, and capable of serving as a reference for other countries.
Meutya said Indonesia has chosen a risk-based approach in regulating child protection in the digital space, rather than an outright ban on the use of technology.
According to her, this approach ensures protection is carried out proportionally while preserving room for innovation and the development of the digital ecosystem. Indonesia wants to demonstrate that child safety and technological progress can advance hand in hand.
“We want Indonesia to become a model for other countries when it comes to regulation to protect children in the digital space. The approach we have chosen is not a comprehensive ban, but a risk-based one so that the digital space remains safe whilst also supporting innovation,” said Meutya.
According to Meutya, digital platforms bear great responsibility in ensuring user safety, particularly children, who form part of the digital ecosystem.
Meutya explained that a number of technological innovations have become an important part of strengthening child protection, ranging from screen-time management features and parental supervision to mechanisms that guard against risky content.
According to her, these various innovations must continue to be developed and become best practices that can be applied more widely.
“If we can build a model of features that is effective in reducing risks for children, then that model can become a reference, not only in Indonesia but also in many other countries,” she said.
She stressed that Indonesia’s approach is not to restrict children’s access to technology, but to ensure every digital service has governance capable of protecting users according to their level of risk.
Meutya revealed that child protection in the digital space has now become a global concern requiring cross-border cooperation, and Indonesia is taking an active position in building global digital governance that places child safety as a priority.
“I do not want the child protection movement to stop simply because the approach adopted in various countries is inappropriate. That is why Indonesia wants to offer a balanced model that protects children whilst still giving room for technological innovation to develop responsibly,” she asserted.
In response, Google’s Vice President of Government Affairs and Public Policy, Markham Erickson, expressed appreciation for Indonesia’s approach, which prioritises risk mitigation over outright prohibition.
According to him, a risk-based approach allows child protection to be applied more precisely according to the characteristics of each digital service. Such an approach also preserves children’s access to educational and beneficial content.
“We consider the risk-based approach to be a smarter approach. Regulation does not have to take the form of a comprehensive ban, but can be focused on the factors that genuinely pose risks to children,” said Markham.