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View all search resultsChild vape livestream sparks exploitation concerns
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A vendor arranges bottles of e-cigarette, or vape, liquids at a shop in Kendari, Southeast Sulawesi, on April 8, 2026. (Antara/Andry Denisah)
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YouTube livestream showing children promoting vape products has drawn condemnation from child protection advocates, who say the incident exposes weak enforcement against online nicotine advertising and the growing exploitation of children in digital marketing.
The controversy centers on a July 28 livestream by Indonesian YouTuber Muhammad Jannah, better known as Bigmo, who promoted a vape liquid brand while encouraging children around him to repeatedly chant the product’s name during the broadcast.
The video prompted widespread criticism over the use of children to market nicotine products, which under Indonesian regulations are intended only for adults aged 21 and above.
The Indonesian Health Policy Chamber (RUKKI) warned that the incident reflected increasingly unchecked vape marketing on digital platforms, exposing children and teenagers to nicotine advertising as e-cigarette use continues to rise.
“If these advertisements continue unchecked, I worry nicotine use among children will become increasingly normalized,” RUKKI chair Mouhammad Bigwanto told The Jakarta Post on Wednesday.
“Because these products are marketed through entertaining content, even involving children, they begin to appear ordinary, when in fact they are addictive and pose serious health risks.”
Read also: Online child exploitation looms amid planned social media restrictions
