IYCTC: Komdigi's Move Proves Indonesia Protects Children from E-Cigarette Promotion

The Indonesian Youth Council for Tactical Changes (IYCTC) has stated that the Ministry of Communication and Digital Affairs’ (Komdigi) move to reprimand YouTube regarding an influencer case involving the promotion of electronic cigarettes proves the state’s commitment to protecting children in the digital space. IYCTC Chairman Manik Marganamahendra said in Jakarta on Wednesday that his party appreciates the swift response, but stressed that follow-up actions must not stop at just one viral case. “Instead, the reprimand to YouTube must be a starting point for consistent supervision of all electronic system providers to comply with Government Regulation Number 17 of 2025 concerning Governance of Electronic Systems in Child Protection (PP TUNAS),” he said.

According to Manik, the government has shown that child protection in the digital realm is a shared priority. However, he reminded that supervision of digital platforms must be maintained consistently, as the practice of promoting e-cigarettes through influencers has been massive and ongoing across various social media platforms. “The Bigmo case is just one example that went viral. In the field, we still find many influencers promoting e-cigarettes through various digital platforms. One strategy of the cigarette and vape industry is to use familiar faces who are popular among young people,” he said.

He argued that it is impossible for the vape industry not to know the audience characteristics of the influencers they collaborate with. Therefore, he hopes Komdigi will use this momentum to ensure all platforms comply with PP TUNAS. “PP TUNAS requires platforms to identify their features that pose high risks to children. Livestream and real-time interaction features, like those used by Bigmo, should fall into this category because they allow children to interact directly with strangers without adequate filters,” he said.

Furthermore, he noted that livestream algorithms drive engagement, and many streamers have audiences predominantly consisting of children and teenagers. Unfortunately, these influencers often lack the capacity to understand that they are being used as actors to promote addictive substances, and it is impossible for the brands not to know the audience demographics of the influencers they hire. This, he said, shows how vulnerable Generation Z and Alpha are to being positioned as profitable target markets rather than groups that need protection. Citing data from the Global Adult Tobacco Survey (GATS), the prevalence of e-cigarette users rose from 0.3 percent in 2011 to 3 percent in 2021, a tenfold increase in a decade that could not have occurred without a highly effective marketing machine operating on platforms most familiar to young people.

Manik expressed full support for Komdigi’s steps in implementing PP TUNAS and its derivative regulation, Komdigi Ministerial Regulation Number 9 of 2026, which requires high-risk platforms such as Meta, YouTube, and TikTok to restrict account ownership for children under 18 and prohibit the exploitation of children’s data for commercial purposes. He added that the issue of influencers cannot be separated from the brands that endorse them. According to Manik, a significant responsibility also lies with the cigarette and vape industry, which consciously continues to carry out advertising, promotion, and sponsorship on social media.