Indonesia Proposes Safe and Ethical Digital Transformation Model at UN Forum
Jakarta (ANTARA) - Minister of Communication and Digital Affairs (Menkomdigi) Meutya Hafid offered Indonesia’s digital transformation model, which prioritises a balance between connectivity, digital economic growth and public protection, at a United Nations forum.
At the forum titled World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) Forum 2026: Leaders SummitX, Meutya stated that digital transformation must be built upon three main pillars — Connected, Growing and Protected — so that technological progress not only accelerates development but also safeguards the public.
Quoting a statement confirmed in Jakarta on Friday, she emphasised that Indonesia’s experience shows digital transformation cannot be measured solely by the number of internet users or the size of the digital economy.
What matters more is how technology can create a safe, inclusive and trusted digital space.
The Connected pillar serves as the primary foundation through the equitable distribution of digital access across Indonesia.
“Under the Connected pillar, we believe digital access is a fundamental right of every citizen. No community should be left behind simply because of limited connectivity,” Meutya said.
However, Meutya cautioned that connectivity without protection could give rise to new risks, particularly for children.
Therefore, Indonesia has positioned Protected as the pillar ensuring that technological progress remains centred on human safety.
As an implementation of this pillar, the government has enacted child protection regulations in the digital space requiring high-risk Electronic System Operators (PSE) to apply strict age restrictions.
Under this policy, children under the age of 16 are no longer permitted to open digital accounts independently.
Meutya revealed that in the early months of implementing the policy, more than five million children’s accounts were closed or deactivated after platforms adjusted to the new provisions.
“Child safety must not depend solely on voluntary platform policies. The state must be present to set clear standards, while platforms are obliged to implement them consistently,” she affirmed.
In addition to strengthening child protection, the government continues to promote transparency and accountability among digital platforms so that digital space governance gains greater public trust.
According to Meutya, public trust is the primary capital for sustainable digital economic growth.
Through the Growing pillar, Indonesia leverages its demographic bonus as the main force in building the digital economy.
Some 68 per cent of Indonesia’s population is of productive age. Indonesia also ranks among the world’s top ten for interest in generative AI, while more than 70 per cent of organisations have adopted artificial intelligence technology in various activities.
To ensure that AI development proceeds ethically and responsibly, the government is finalising a Presidential Regulation on AI Governance, which will form the basis of the National AI Roadmap.
The regulation is expected to provide legal certainty for innovation and investment, while ensuring that AI utilisation remains aligned with Indonesian values and oriented towards the public interest.
“Our goal is not merely to create AI users. We want to produce responsible AI innovators, creators and leaders. Indonesia wants to be part of shaping the world’s digital future, not merely to be a technology market,” Meutya concluded.