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Age limit on social media not only solution to protect minors: Discussion
Protecting children on digital platforms will require the involvement of parents and other parties on top of limiting the age of social media users, a lawmaker and observers have said amid the government's plan to ban minors from social media.
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A user uses Instagram and TikTok on Jan. 31, 2025, in Cimahi, West Java. (Antara/Abdan Syakura)
As the government drafts a regulation to ban social media use for children, lawmakers and observers emphasize the need for a broader approach beyond procedural issues to ensure the policy’s efficacy.
The Communications and Digital Ministry is working on a regulation that aims to prevent children under an undefined age from creating accounts on all social media platforms in order to prevent them from being exposed to inappropriate and harmful content.
To meet the two-month deadline set by President Prabowo Subianto, the ministry recently established a drafting team that includes officials and representatives from child protection groups, academia and psychologists.
Nurul Arifin, member of House of Representatives Commission I overseeing communications and information, expressed her support for the government's plan and shared similar concerns on protecting children from harmful content found on digital platforms. However, the Golkar Party politician acknowledged the challenges around the policy.
“It seems difficult to regulate age restrictions, as it requires involvement from many parties including parents, educators and academia,” she said during a discussion at the Senayan legislative complex in Jakarta on Tuesday.
Despite the age restriction, children can still access platforms like YouTube, TikTok and Instagram using someone else’s accounts and devices, potentially exposing them to illegal digital content such as online gambling and pornography, as noted by Indonesian Child Protection Commission (KPAI) member Kawiyan in the discussion.
