PP Tunas Challenge: 3 out of 5 Children Falsify Age on Social Media
The Ministry of Communication and Digital Affairs (Komdigi) has revealed a number of initial challenges in implementing Government Regulation (PP) Number 17 of 2025 on Electronic System Governance for Child Protection, known as PP Tunas. One of the main obstacles encountered in the field is the rampant practice of age falsification by underage users.
Deputy Minister of Communication and Digital Affairs, Nezar Patria, presented survey data used as a government reference, which found that three out of five children deliberately falsify their age when registering for social media accounts. This is done to circumvent the age restriction systems applied by platforms.
"There is a survey showing that out of five children, three are confirmed to falsify their age to access social media. This is already common," said Deputy Minister Nezar at the Class I Medan Radio Frequency Spectrum Monitoring Centre, North Sumatra, on Saturday (4/7/2026).
Nezar explained that the practice of age falsification poses a serious challenge because the verification process depends entirely on the systems owned by each digital platform provider. Therefore, the government is urging service providers to strengthen their age identification technology.
Nevertheless, Nezar stressed that this technological reinforcement must not violate privacy rules. "We have conveyed to the platforms that they are the ones who can regulate this with the technological solutions they possess. However, age identification must also comply with the principles of personal data protection," he explained.
Currently, several platforms are reported to have begun implementing stricter algorithmic systems to recognise account usage patterns. This technology can detect if an account is operated by a minor based on content access behaviour, even if the profile data indicates an adult age.
"Some platforms have started to impose restrictions. There are children who previously had accounts but can no longer access them because they have been identified as underage users," Nezar added.
Beyond the technological aspect, the government is encouraging the strengthening of the family role through companion account mechanisms or parental guidance. According to Nezar, parental involvement in supervising children’s digital activities remains a determining factor for the success of child protection in cyberspace.
Indonesia is recorded as the first country in Southeast Asia to implement a specific regulation like PP TUNAS. This progressive step is beginning to attract the attention of neighbouring countries in the region.
"In Southeast Asia, only Indonesia has implemented this regulation. Australia implemented it earlier and continues to evaluate it. I also hear that Malaysia is preparing a similar policy," he said.
The government affirmed its commitment to not compromise on children’s safety in the digital space, despite having to face technical challenges and the business interests of global platforms. The implementation of PP Tunas will continue to be overseen to ensure a safe national digital ecosystem for the younger generation.