MUI: Restrictions on children in digital spaces must not overlook their rights
Jakarta — The Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI) welcomed the government’s policy on restricting children’s access to the digital space while continuing to uphold their rights to remain protected in cyberspace.
“We need to ensure that this regulation truly favours the best interests and rights of children, not merely restricting but also protecting them from risks in the digital world without removing their right to express themselves and learn,” said Siti Ma’rifah, head of MUI’s Women, Youth and Family (PRK) division, in a statement in Jakarta on Saturday.
Siti noted that the measure should be taken because children are increasingly vulnerable to a range of threats, from pornographic content, cyberbullying, online fraud, to addiction.
With this policy, the head of MUI PRK said the government and all segments of society must work together to prepare a healthy younger generation who can use digital platforms wisely to avoid negative content, especially content that exploits and harms children’s mental health.
“This step can help parents protect children from the negative impacts of the digital space, so monitoring of technology use is no longer solely a family burden,” she said.
She stressed that the safety and best interests of children must be the top priority in implementing this regulation because age restrictions in the use of social media are increasingly attracting attention from various parties.
“This regulation is expected to provide effective protection in the digital space, without neglecting children’s rights to express themselves, communicate, and access information in line with their age and development,” she said.
Based on 2024 data from the Indonesian Internet Service Providers Association (APJI), internet penetration among Generation Z born from 1997 to 2012 reached 87.02 percent.
Moreover, in lagging regions, the age at which the internet is first used was recorded at between 13 and 14 years, with the highest usage on social media.
Siti emphasised that high participation of children in the digital world must be balanced with clear regulation that can provide protection from harmful content and the risks of online crime exploitation.
“Regulations must be evidence-based, tailored to regional characteristics and mindful of the real needs of children in today’s digital era,” she said.
The Ministry of Communications and Digital on Friday (6 March) issued Ministerial Regulation Number 9 of 2026, which governs restrictions on access for children under 16 to high-risk digital platforms.
According to the implementing rules derived from Government Regulation Number 17 of 2025 on the Governance of Electronic System Administration in Child Protection, or PP Tunas, children under 16 are no longer allowed to own accounts on high-risk digital platforms.
“Today we are issuing a Ministerial Regulation derived from PP Tunas. Through this regulation, the government is pausing access for under-16 accounts on high-risk digital platforms, including social media and networking services,” said the Minister of Communications and Digital, Meutya Hafid.