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Social media age restriction policy met with caution
The Government Regulation (PP) on electronic system providers governance in child protection signed on March 28 mandates that online platforms prioritize child protection over commercial pursuits and forbids them from commodifying children.
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A man records a campaign video for social media on Feb. 10, 2024, to be used by Ukon Furkon Sukanda, a legislative candidate of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), in Tangerang, Banten. Candidates of the 2024 general election posted videos on social media in a push to appeal to young voters, ranging from dressing up like Tom Cruise in Top Gun to organizing dance contests and forgetting to turn off a livestream. (AFP/Bay Ismoyo)
T
he government has issued a regulation on the minimum age requirement for social media that aims to protect children online, a move appreciated cautiously by child and digital rights activists with concerns raised over unclear mechanisms and privacy protection guarantees.
The policy was laid out in a Government Regulation (PP) on electronic system providers governance in child protection that became effective on March 28, the day it was signed by President Prabowo Subianto in a ceremony at the State Palace in Jakarta.
During the ceremony, which was attended by hundreds of children and several ministers and other government officials, Prabowo said that if digital technology that brings rapid advancement for humanity goes unsupervised, it can destroy the morals, psychology and character of our children.
“Be careful, OK, kids? Don’t fall for negative things, you must learn good things; your future is bright,” the President said. “Indonesia’s future is bright and [...] we’re all here working to prepare a better future for children.”
Communication and Digital Minister Meutya Hafid, who was present at the March 28 ceremony, said that the regulation mandated that online platforms prioritize child protection over commercial pursuits and forbids them from commodifying children.
Read also: Govt signs child protection regulation with age limit for social media
The policy, which is a derivative regulation of the Electronic Information and Transactions (ITE) Law, categorizes children and teenagers using social media into age groups: under 13 years old, 13 to under 16 years old and 16 to 18 years old. But no further details are provided on these age categories.
