Minister of Communications and Digital: PP Tunas protects children from high-risk digital platforms

Jakarta — Minister of Communications and Digital (Meutya Hafid) emphasised that the presence of Government Regulation No. 17 of 2025 on the Governance of Electronic System Administration in Child Protection (PP Tunas) provides protection for children from high-risk digital platforms. This was stated by the Minister at the Ministerial-level Coordination Meeting for Synchronisation, Coordination, and Control (SKP) on Prevention and Handling of Mental Health Issues in Children and Adolescents at the office of the Coordinating Ministry for Human Development and Culture, Central Jakarta, on Thursday. “Through PP Tunas, the government will postpone the age of access for children to high-risk digital platforms to 16 years, and for services with lower risk from 13 years,” he said. The implementation of PP Tunas is important, he noted, reflecting the fact that the number of children active on the internet in Indonesia is very large. The vast number of child internet users also face serious risks in the online space. “Currently, of around 229 million internet users in Indonesia, almost 80 per cent are children connected to the internet. This is a very large figure and a serious concern for us all,” said Meutya. UNICEF data show that around 50 per cent of Indonesian children who use the internet have been exposed to sexual content on social media, while 42 per cent say they feel scared or uncomfortable due to their experiences in the online space. In addition, the government notes around 1.45 million cases of online child exploitation. “Half of Indonesian children have already seen sexual content on the internet. This is a serious warning for us all. Digital platforms must take responsibility for protecting children,” said Meutya. She emphasised that this policy is not an internet ban on children, but rather an age-based regulation of access to digital services with high potential risks. According to Meutya, the regulation also considers various forms of risk in the digital space, ranging from exposure to harmful content, interactions with strangers, potential exploitation of children, to the risk of addiction to using digital platforms. “Even when the content is not problematic, excessive use of digital platforms can lead to addiction that affects mental health and the growth of children,” she added. She added that the successful implementation of PP Tunas requires cross-ministry and agency cooperation, including the education sector, health, child protection, and law enforcement. The government targets full implementation of the regulation to commence one year after its enactment, i.e. on 28 March 2026. “With tens of millions of children as internet users, implementation challenges in Indonesia are certainly more complex. However, digital platforms operating in Indonesia must respect the laws applicable in Indonesia,” Meutya concluded.