Observer: Parents Need to Supervise Children When Registering Accounts to Support Tunas Regulation
Jakarta (ANTARA) - Child and education advocate Retno Listyarti has reminded parents of the importance of supervising their children when registering accounts on digital platforms as a step to support the implementation of Government Regulation (PP) Number 17 of 2025 on the Governance of Electronic Systems in Child Protection (Tunas).
Retno emphasised that the enforcement of PP Number 17 of 2025 on the Governance of Electronic Systems in Child Protection (Tunas) from today, in line with directives from the Minister of Communication and Digital Affairs (Menkomdigi) Meutya Hafid, is a crucial effort to protect children in the digital realm, amid the proliferation of social media and online games that can threaten child safety.
“The implementation of this regulation is not easy. One of the main challenges is the possibility of children manipulating their age when registering accounts. This shows that supervision cannot be solely entrusted to platforms but also requires active involvement from parents,” she said when contacted via text message in Jakarta on Saturday.
The former Commissioner of the Indonesian Child Protection Commission (KPAI) outlined three main threats facing children in the digital space. First, exposure to pornographic content; second, exposure to violence; and third, addiction, both to social media and other digital platforms, including online games.
Retno stressed that this regulation serves as an important initial foundation for child protection in the digital realm, but it still requires strengthening in implementation and on-the-ground supervision.
Under PP Tunas, digital platforms are required to classify content risk levels, such as low, medium, to high risk. High-risk content containing violence or pornography must not be accessible to children under a certain age, for example, under 16 years old.
In addition, platforms are responsible for verifying user ages to ensure appropriate access. PP Tunas also mandates electronic system providers to protect children from exploitation and online sexual crimes, including from predators who exploit social media.
Platforms are also encouraged to provide parental control features and mechanisms for reporting harmful content.
“The government has instructed all digital platforms operating in Indonesia to immediately align their products, features, and services in accordance with applicable regulations. There is no compromise on compliance, and every business entity operating in Indonesia must adhere to the laws in force in Indonesia,” Meutya asserted at the Ministry of Communication and Digital Affairs office in Central Jakarta on Friday (27/3) evening.
On that occasion, Meutya also expressed appreciation to two digital platforms, X and Bigo Live, for their full compliance with PP Tunas. She also welcomed platforms TikTok and Roblox, which are categorised as partially cooperative with PP Tunas.
Meanwhile, four other platforms—Facebook, Threads, Instagram, and YouTube—still do not meet the provisions of PP Tunas.
PP Tunas takes effect from 28 March 2026, and every digital operating business entity is required to comply with the provisions of that regulation.