PP Tunas, Religious Affairs Minister: Children's morals need strengthening before social media access

This is a state regulatory ijtihad to protect the development of the young generation. Jakarta (ANTARA) - Religious Affairs Minister Nasaruddin Umar stated that delaying social media access for children under 16 years old aims to strengthen children’s identity and morals before they are exposed to the virtual world. “Delaying social media access for children under 16 years old starting from 28 March 2026 is not a restriction but an effort to strengthen identity and morals before they are exposed to the complexities of the virtual world,” said Minister Nasaruddin Umar in Jakarta on Thursday. He made this statement in response to the Ministry of Communication and Digital Affairs, which has issued Ministerial Regulation No. 9 of 2026 as an implementing regulation of Government Regulation No. 17 of 2025 on the Governance of Electronic Systems in Child Protection (PP Tunas). The Ministry of Religious Affairs fully supports the derivative regulation of PP Tunas. It also requests all madrasahs and religious educational institutions to oversee the PP Tunas policy. “Make this a momentum to optimise literacy and student character more deeply,” said Nasaruddin Umar. The Minister also asked teachers, clerics, and parents to accompany children with affection. “Let us prepare them to become a generation that is not only digitally intelligent but also knowledgeable, moral, and responsible,” said Nasaruddin Umar.