Ministry of Communication and Digital Affairs Says PP TUNAS Protects Children from Digital Risks

The Ministry of Communication and Digital Affairs has emphasised that the child protection policy in the digital space, PP TUNAS, is not intended to prohibit children from accessing the internet, but to ensure they are protected from various risks lurking on digital platforms. “We are not banning, but delaying children from entering high-risk digital realms,” said Bonifasius Wahyu Pudjianto, Head of the Human Resources Development Agency (BPSDM) at the ministry, in a statement received in Jakarta on Sunday.

Through Government Regulation Number 17 of 2025 concerning Governance of Electronic System Operation in Child Protection (PP TUNAS), the government seeks to create a safer and healthier digital space for the younger generation. Special Staff to the Minister of Communication and Digital Affairs, Alfreno Kautsar Ramadhan, explained that PP TUNAS exists to ensure children have sufficient time to grow before entering a digital space fraught with various risks.

“PP TUNAS, or ‘Wait Until the Child is Ready’, essentially aims to delay children under the age of 16 from entering social media, which carries various risks. This does not mean the internet is banned, but that children need protection and guidance appropriate to their age,” Alfreno stated. He outlined four main risks of concern to the government in protecting children in the digital space: content risk, contact risk, addiction risk, and commercial risk. Content risk relates to exposure to negative material that can influence a child’s way of thinking and behaviour.

Additionally, there is contact risk, which occurs when children interact with unknown parties through social media or other digital platforms. Such interactions can open opportunities for manipulation, fraud, and other forms of threats against children. The risks of addiction and commercial exploitation are linked to excessive use of digital media, which can reduce children’s productive activities and encourage consumerist behaviour from an early age.