Protecting Children in the Digital Age: Parliament Supports Rules Restricting AI and Social Media
The government has taken strategic steps to strengthen child protection in the digital era through two important new policies. These include a Joint Ministerial Decision (SKB) from 7 ministers on guidelines for using digital technology and artificial intelligence in education, as well as the implementation of the Ministry of Communication and Digital Affairs Regulation Number 9 of 2026 derived from Government Regulation Number 17 of 2025 concerning the governance of electronic systems in child protection (TUNAS).
Member of Commission VIII of the Indonesian Parliament, Atalia Praratya, considers this step a progressive policy aimed at ensuring technology is utilised in a healthy and responsible manner by the younger generation.
“Digital technology and artificial intelligence are inevitabilities of our times. However, we must not allow children to access them without limits and without supervision. This regulation is an effort to maintain balance between technological advancement and protecting child development,” said Atalia on Sunday, 15 March.
Under the joint decision, the government has established restrictions on instant generative AI use, such as ChatGPT, Gemini, and Claude, for students at primary and secondary education levels. This policy is intended to prevent negative impacts on children’s cognitive development.
Several risks of concern include the phenomenon of brain rot—a decline in critical thinking abilities due to consumption of passive digital content—and cognitive debt, which is dependence on technology that can weaken independent thinking processes. Learning must continue to emphasise student thinking processes.
“Children need to learn thinking processes, not merely receive instant answers from machines. If the thinking process is bypassed, there is a risk of creating a generation that quickly obtains answers but is weak in understanding problems,” she said.
Additionally, the government is implementing restrictions on social media access for children under 16 years old through Ministry of Communication and Digital Affairs Regulation Number 9 of 2026. This policy will be implemented gradually starting 28 March 2026 through the closure of children’s accounts on various social media platforms, including YouTube, TikTok, Facebook, Instagram, Threads, X (formerly Twitter), Bigo Live, and Roblox.
This step is seen as aligned with global policy trends. Several countries such as France, Australia, and the United States are also beginning to tighten social media access for children to protect their mental health and digital security.
UNICEF data shows that more than 70 per cent of school-age children have been exposed to the internet from an early age. Meanwhile, research from Common Sense Media notes that children aged 8-12 years spend approximately five hours per day in front of digital screens.
Atalia considers restricting early childhood social media access an important step in protecting the younger generation from various digital risks.
“Early digital exposure can impact children’s mental health, sleep patterns, concentration abilities, and even their social relationships. Therefore, the state needs to ensure that digital spaces remain safe for them,” she said.
Nevertheless, she emphasised that the success of this policy depends not only on government regulation but also requires involvement from families and educational institutions.
She stressed the importance of strengthening digital literacy from an early age so that children can use technology wisely once they are old enough.
“The purpose of this policy is not to prohibit technology, but to ensure our children are mentally, intellectually, and socially prepared before fully entering the complex digital world,” she stated.
As a follow-up measure, Atalia encourages several strategies to ensure the policy is implemented effectively. One approach is to strengthen national digital literacy for parents, teachers, and students so they can understand both the risks and benefits of technology.
Additionally, she believes there is a need for gradual development of an artificial intelligence curriculum so learners can become acquainted with AI technology in an educational and responsible manner appropriate to their age.
Atalia also emphasised the importance of providing child-friendly digital education platforms to support creative learning without promoting technology dependence.
She also encouraged collaboration between government, schools, and digital platforms to ensure data security and child protection in digital spaces.
According to Atalia, Indonesia must be able to leverage artificial intelligence developments for educational advancement while remaining grounded in humanitarian values, ethics, and child protection.
“Technology should strengthen human intelligence, not replace it. Our children should grow into a generation that is intelligent, creative, and principled, not merely a generation dependent on technology,” she concluded.
Abdul Mu’ti expressed full support for the implementation of the TUNAS regulation through strengthened regulation within educational institutions. The main focus of protection includes 4.04 million madrasah students, 3.3 million Islamic boarding school students, and tens of thousands of students from various religious schools.
Trubus Rahardiansah stated that the current policy approach remains top-down in nature and has not fully opened dialogue space with key stakeholders.
The Minister of Communication and Digital Affairs, Meutya Hafid, reminded parents to limit children’s gadget use during the 2026 Eid holiday as preparation for the implementation of the TUNAS regulation on 28 March.
Various elements of civil society, education practitioners, and legislative representatives have called for a thorough review of the TUNAS implementation plan.