Ministry of Communication Issues Warning to YouTube Over Child Exploitation in Vape Promotion
The Ministry of Communication and Digital (Komdigi) has issued its first formal warning to YouTube following a report filed with the Metro Jaya Police regarding YouTuber Muhammad Jannah, known as Bigmo, for involving minors in promoting vape liquid during a live stream. Minister Meutya Hafid emphasised that the practice of exploiting children to promote unauthorised products is a serious violation that cannot be tolerated, stating that vape products should not have a place on digital platforms.
“Children must be protected from all forms of exploitation in the digital space. Content involving children to promote vape products clearly contradicts the spirit of child protection and should not be permitted on digital platforms,” Meutya Hafid stated in Jakarta. The warning follows the discovery of content where Bigmo allegedly used underage children to promote electronic cigarette products.
The warning letter is part of the enforcement mechanism for compliance by Private Scope Electronic System Providers (PSE), as regulated under the Minister of Communication and Informatics Regulation Number 5 of 2020. Through this letter, Komdigi has requested YouTube to immediately review and take action against the content in question and to provide clarification on the steps taken and planned.
Furthermore, YouTube has been asked to proactively strengthen its content moderation systems against content that potentially violates child protection principles, including the promotion of e-cigarette products, to increase the speed of handling similar content and ensure that age detection and restriction mechanisms function effectively. The Ministry has given YouTube a maximum of three days to follow up on these findings.
Meutya warned that if the warning is not addressed according to regulations, Komdigi will impose administrative sanctions, ranging from written warnings and administrative fines to the temporary suspension of services or the blocking of access to the electronic system. The Ministry maintains that while the government prioritises guidance and compliance, it will not hesitate to enforce regulations if moderation obligations are not met.
Previously, the Metro Jaya Police confirmed that a report has been filed against Bigmo regarding the alleged economic exploitation of children. The Head of Public Relations for Metro Jaya Police, Kombes Budi Hermanto, stated that the Child Protection Directorate is currently investigating the report to identify the children involved and further examine the incident.