Jakarta (VNA) – A special team of Indonesia tasked with monitoring restrictions, including regulations related to child protection in the digital space, became operational on February 3.
Indonesian Minister of Communication and Digital Affairs Meutya Hafid on February 2 signed a decree for the formation of the team, which comprises representatives from various ministries, child protection organisations, academic institutions, and psychological experts.
Previously, President Prabowo Subianto has set a two-month deadline for the completion of a regulation aimed at restricting children’s access to social media and ensuring their safety online.
The ministry has planned to implement age restrictions for social media access as part of its initial efforts to protect children in the digital environment. This measure primarily aims at tackling the issue of pornographic content consumption among children as Indonesia is currently ranked fourth in the world for access to pornographic content.
Hafid also highlighted several issues related to child protection in the digital space, such as online gambling, sexual violence, and bullying.
Based on the National Centre for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) data in 2024, the total number of cases of child pornographic content in Indonesia in the last four years reached more than five million.
Meanwhile, according to a survey by the Indonesian Internet Service Providers Association (APJII), Internet penetration in Indonesia has risen to 79.5% in 2024.The Internet penetration among Generation Z or those born between 1997 and 2012 is quite large, reaching over 87%. In addition, among those born after 2013, the penetration is also quite large, reaching more than 48%./.
