Penajam Regency Follows Up on Child Protection in the Digital Space

North Penajam Paser Regency (ANTARA) - The Penajam Paser Utara Regency Government in East Kalimantan Province is preparing to follow up on the central government’s regulation on child protection in the digital space, which was implemented this year.

“The regency government supports the implementation of the child protection regulation in the digital space,” said the Secretary of Penajam Paser Utara Regency, Tohar, on Tuesday, when asked about the PP Tunas (Government Regulation on Governance) to protect children in the digital realm in Penajam.

The regulation limits access to social media and high-risk platforms for children under 16 years old, and requires parental consent for children under 13 years old.

“The regulation does not aim to prohibit children from using social media, but rather to limit access based on age groups. It is hoped that it can create a safer and more child-friendly digital space, in line with the increasing number of young internet users,” he added.

The Penajam Paser Utara Regency Government is focusing on education and socialisation of digital literacy, especially for students, so that they understand wise digital use in accordance with the applicable regulations.

It also involves enhancing the capacity of educators or teachers to accompany students in using the internet wisely, as well as encouraging the use of traditional games and limiting harmful content and cyberbullying.

These steps aim to create a safe and healthy digital space for children’s growth and development, said Tohar, supported by monitoring and evaluation from the central government.

Parents are urged not only to restrict, but also to provide education so that children can grow into responsible and safe technology users, accompanying children when accessing the internet, especially at an early age, to understand their online activities.

Several parents who were successfully met welcomed the implementation of Government Regulation Number 17 of 2025 on the Governance of Electronic System Operations in Child Protection (PP Tunas).

The regulation can protect children from exposure to negative content in the digital space, according to one resident of Penajam Paser Utara Regency, Halwiana Saleh; the government must carry out stricter supervision and content filtering in the digital space.