Lestari Moerdijat: Regulation Alone Won't Protect Children in the Digital Space

Deputy Speaker of the Indonesian People’s Representative Council (MPR), Lestari Moerdijat, has stressed that threats to children in the digital space cannot be resolved by regulation alone. A collective movement from all elements of the nation is needed to create a safe digital ecosystem for the next generation.

‘The rapid expansion of internet access in the digital space must be matched promptly with real protective measures. Digital literacy must become a core requirement in families, schools, and communities,’ Lestari Moerdijat said in a written statement on Friday, 22 May 2026.

Data from the Ministry for Women’s Empowerment and Child Protection (Kemen PPPA) shows worrying facts: nine in ten children aged five and above in Indonesia are actively using the internet. This correlates with an increased risk of cybercrime.

According to data from the Directorate General for Digital Space Monitoring (Ditjen Pengawasan Ruang Digital), cases of child pornography have risen by almost 48% in the last four years. From 986,648 cases in 2020, the figure jumped to 1,450,403 in 2024.

‘Protecting children in the digital space, in essence, is safeguarding the future of the nation. This policy must be part of a collective movement to ensure the healthy, safe, and dignified growth of the next generation,’ said Lestari.

Lestari, popularly known as Rerie, believes the readiness of parents and educators is the key to the effectiveness of policies restricting social media for children under 16. Although the government has begun concrete steps, major challenges remain.

Education Minister Abdul Mu’ti previously announced that 55,000 teachers across Indonesia have received training in coding and artificial intelligence (AI). However, Rerie notes this figure is still very small compared with the total 3.47 million teachers nationwide.

As a member of Commission X of the DPR RI, Rerie emphasised that teachers are required to become ‘digital literacy heroes’ as stated by Communications and Digital Minister Meutya Hafid. This is crucial to protecting children from exposure to negative content and disinformation, cyberbullying and exploitation in cyberspace that damages character.

The NasDem Party’s senior council member concluded by reminding that the success of creating a comfortable digital space depends on collective support, not merely rules on paper.