Wihaji noted that the experiences of several countries, including Australia, show that imposing age restrictions for access to social media is a crucial step. However, in practice, children can still bypass these rules by borrowing their parents' devices or misusing adult identities.
"Therefore, the Ministry of Population and Family Development believes that the success of this policy is not determined by regulation or technology alone, but is heavily dependent on the role of the family," he said in a statement received in Jakarta on Tuesday.
He explained that the family is the smallest unit of the state and serves as the primary setting for instilling values of protection and supervision, especially regarding exposure to negative digital content.
Wihaji stressed that the government seeks to ensure that family resilience is not disrupted by the negative content circulating on digital platforms.
To this end, through the implementation of Government Regulation Number 17 of 2025 regarding Electronic System Governance for Child Protection (PP Tunas), all digital platforms are now required to provide parental approval mechanisms and child control features.
Nevertheless, he emphasized that such initiatives will not be effective without active parental involvement in guiding children through their digital activities.
In this regard, he called for a stronger parental role in supervising children and ensuring that parents are the first people children turn to to share their online experiences.
Communication and Digital Affairs Minister Meutya Hafid earlier emphasized that PP Tunas provides a safety net for children against high-risk digital platforms.
"Through the regulation, the government is raising the minimum age for access to high-risk digital platforms to 16, while lower-risk services will be accessible starting at the age of 13," she stated.
Hafid noted that the implementation of PP Tunas is crucial given the massive number of children active on the internet in Indonesia, which comes with serious digital risks.
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Translator: Farhan Arda, Raka Adji
Editor: Azis Kurmala
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