Jakarta (VNA) – Authorities in Indonesia are encouraging parents to actively use digital tools to monitor and guide their children’s online activities as part of broader efforts to enhance child safety in the digital environment.
The South Jakarta Sub-agency for Empowerment, Child Protection and Population Control (PPAPP) on April 28 called on families to adopt technology-based solutions, referring to a list of recommended software issued by the Ministry of Communication and Digital Affairs of Indonesia.
The platforms suggested by authorities include Google Family Link (for Android and iOS), Apple Screen Time, YouTube Kids Mode, TikTok Family Pairing, and Roblox Parental Controls. These tools enable parents to manage screen time and filter the content their children can access.
Highlighting the central role of families, Rizky Hamid, head of the PPAPP office in South Jakarta, said the agency is focusing on educating parents on how to supervise children through built-in family management applications available on Android and iOS platforms.
He stressed that digital literacy is a crucial factor in helping students use the Internet wisely. Therefore, raising awareness among both children and parents is essential to ensure a shared understanding, even though ultimate control remains with adults.
The initiative forms part of a new programme titled “Jaga Anak Jaksel Asli” (Protecting South Jakarta’s Children: Safe, Healthy and Literate) to be launched by South Jakarta authorities. The programme aims to implement Indonesian government regulations on strengthening child protection in cyberspace through active family involvement and the application of monitoring technologies.
With the rapid spread of smartphones and social media, Indonesian children are gaining access to the Internet at increasingly younger ages, bringing risks such as cyberbullying, exposure to harmful content, and device addiction. In response, the Indonesian Government is shifting its approach from restriction-based measures to building “digital resilience” among young users.
Promoting the use of parental control tools is viewed as the first and most effective line of defence, helping create a safer online environment while still ensuring children’s access to information./.
