Three in five children falsify age to access social media, says deputy minister

Jakarta (ANTARA) - Deputy Minister of Communication and Digital Affairs Nezar Patria has stated that based on a government-referenced survey, three out of five children are known to falsify their age in order to access social media platforms. This practice is cited as one of the initial challenges in implementing Government Regulation Number 17 of 2025 on Electronic System Governance for Child Protection, or PP TUNAS. “There is a survey that shows if there are five children, three of them definitely fake their age to get onto social media. This is already common,” Nezar said in a confirmed statement in Jakarta on Sunday. The government has asked all platforms to strengthen age identification technology without neglecting personal data protection provisions. “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 personal data protection principles,” he explained. “Some platforms have started implementing restrictions. There are children who previously had accounts but can no longer access them because they have been identified as underage users,” he stressed. Besides technological reinforcement by platforms, Nezar believes parental involvement remains the main factor in protecting children in the digital space. “As parents, we must be more intensive in accompanying our children. The family approach remains an important part of protecting children in the digital space,” he said. Nezar explained that Indonesia is the first country in Southeast Asia to implement PP TUNAS. The policy is now beginning to attract the attention of several countries in the region. He asserted that the government will not compromise in its efforts to protect children in the digital space, despite facing technical challenges and the business interests of digital platforms. “We want to ensure that Indonesia’s digital space remains safe for children. Therefore, we will continue to implement PP TUNAS together with all digital platforms,” Nezar stressed.