Building a Safer Digital World for Kids: Lessons Indonesia Can Learn from Global Best Practices

The Internet offers many advantages and can also negatively impact children, particularly those from Generation Z and Alpha, who have grown up in a world where online access is everywhere. With information readily available at their fingertips, especially through social media, children are exposed to a variety of content—including inappropriate material such as cyberbullying, harmful content, and online exploitation. This poses significant risks to their safety if the internet fails to remain a secure space for them. In response, governments are seeking to implement stricter regulations for child protection to foster a safer digital environment.

One of the leading countries that furthers its stricter rules on children’s protection on social media is Australia. The country announced the ban on the use of social media for children aged below 16, mandating social media platforms a year to comply with the regulation, otherwise facing a huge fine. While directed towards the same path, other nations also attempt to restrict social media for children to prevent more damage to kids, but these nations do not currently have a defined regulation that bans social media for kids under a certain age.

Through Komdigi, the Indonesian government stated that President Prabowo had given them three months to develop a regulation limiting access to social media. Komdigi has been arguing that this regulation is desperately needed to protect Indonesian children from the abundance of harmful content. The law will serve as an implementing rule in support of the Personal Data Protection (PDP), Information and Electronic Transactions (ITE), and Child Protection laws.

This blog will explore Indonesia’s attempt to restrict social media use to children, taking an example from other countries that have further moved on with their ruling. By analyzing the comparison between Indonesia’s current status and existing regulations to Australia and other countries’ regulations, we can try to identify opportunities and challenges for Indonesia to create a more make-sense draft regulation that not only enhances child protection but also does not disqualify the growth of the digital economy.

Indonesia’s existing regulation on Child Protection

Long before social media and technological networks existed, the Indonesian government established regulations on child protection, which are outlined in Law No. 23/2002 concerning child protection. Then, when social media and electronic systems started to permeate Indonesians’ social life, Law No. 11/2008—which governs electronic information and transactions—and Law No. 35/2014—which amends the Child Protection Law of 2002—arose. Cybercrime, child pornography, cyberbullying, and online child exploitation are among the aspects of child protection in electronic systems that are covered by this legislation.

As social media has become an integral part of today’s society, the government is making efforts to strengthen law enforcement in the industry. One initiative is the draft regulation on implementing the ITE Law, which specifically regulates child protection on electronic platforms (RPAPSE). This includes mandatory user verification methods to ensure that children under 18 cannot create accounts without parental consent and to establish an age limit for using social media. The verification methods will depend on the child’s age group (under 18 years old) and shall be conducted by the parents.

Deputy Communications and Digital Minister Nezar Patria has mentioned that the age limit would be based on the data protection impact assessment by social media platforms. A data protection impact assessment is a process that identifies and analyzes the data protection risks. It allows social media platforms to understand the risks when children are exposed to dangerous content and are connected to or exploited by harmful contacts. The data assessment must be conducted every two years or periodically (according to the current discussion), which Komdigi has given full authority for the platform companies to decide, as long as it complies with Indonesian regulations.

Altogether, existing regulations and ongoing draft regulations are aimed at protecting children in a much safer digital ecosystem in Indonesia, despite the varying mechanisms implemented by these platform companies globally. TikTok, Facebook, and Snapchat state that individuals must be at least 13 years old to sign up, known as the digital age of consent. Meanwhile, child protection advocates of Indonesia, government agencies, and Komdigi argue that children under 18 must be within parental guidance in accessing online content. No matter how beneficial online platforms may be for children today, children will always be vulnerable when exposed to inappropriate content online—such an alarming reality. The platform companies need to enhance their layered restriction methods to prevent children from accessing inappropriate content. At the same time, the government must play its role in ensuring stronger law enforcement.

Learning from other countries

Governments around the world are concerned about the impact of the digital economy and tech trends on children despite the benefits it brings in terms of learning, creativity, and self-actualization. A law must be enforced to prevent further negative impacts on young people, especially children aged below 13.

Australia, among other nations, passed a law banning children under 16 from using social media apps, which is deemed the world’s most restrictive social media laws. The law mandates an enforcement “framework” with key details to be decided later, to be complied with by social media companies within a year. The Australian government has put up a fine of up to USD 33 million for companies that fail to prevent underage access. While it constitutes the strictest rules for digital space in today’s world, it remains lacking in details for the implementation. The law does not specifically dictate how platforms comply with the minimum age obligation. One possible way is to require government-issued age identification; however, Australians are concerned it may open a can of worms for cyberattacks on personal information. This shows that the great regulation issued is not enough if the implementation is not as intended. Hence, the 1-year delay gives both government and social media companies time to figure out how to implement the best.

In the UK, the government has no plan to follow what the Australian Constitution did, but it is within the focus of the British administration to keep its citizens safe in digital space. The Online Safety Act, passed in 2023, set tougher standards for social media platforms, which also have age restrictions and guidelines. Meanwhile, EU countries focus on the age for parental consent requirement for children under 16 to access content online, with some EU countries lowering the limit to 13, such as Germany, France, and Belgium. Specifically in the Netherlands, such a minimum age restriction is not applicable; however, they have been enacting a regulation where students are not allowed to bring digital devices into the classroom since January 2024.

On the other hand, in Asian countries like China and Vietnam, governments have chosen to restrict the time children spend on social media and digital devices. In China, children are prohibited from using digital devices between 10 PM and 6 AM, while those aged 16 to 18 are limited to a maximum of two hours per day. Similarly, the Vietnamese government has implemented various regulations, including restrictions on online gaming time and mandatory user identity verification. Users are only allowed to play games for a maximum of three hours per day, and platforms must verify user identities to prevent the misuse of anonymous accounts.

What needs to be done by the Indonesian government

While there are numerous best practices from other countries, Indonesia is still in the early stages of drafting the regulation. Although several existing regulations aim to mitigate the negative impact of social media on children, the government continues to insist that age restrictions be included in future digital space regulations.

Komdigi Minister, Meutya, mentioned that Mr. Prabowo has tasked her ministry to deliberate the draft regulation within three months since early January 2025. The deliberation will be started with an expert discussion involving government, academia, industry players, and other relevant stakeholders. Among government agencies, Komdigi will lead the deliberation as the primary regulator in the digital space, followed by KPPA, the Ministry of Health, and KPAI. These agencies are concerned about the mental health impact of social media on children, which could decrease their emotional and intellectual intelligence

There are still mixed opinions on age restrictions for children’s use of social media. While it offers valuable opportunities for learning, creativity, and socializing with friends outside of school and relatives in different locations, the risks remain a significant concern. As adults, no matter how closely we monitor their online activities, providing constant, 24/7 protection is nearly impossible—especially as their lives become increasingly immersed in the digital space.

Many experts emphasize that achieving balance is crucial. In this context, balance means that both the government and industry players must collaborate to enforce not only well-designed regulations but also practical industry practices. Additionally, while imposing restrictions may quickly alleviate public concerns, it may not effectively address the root of the problem. Such measures will only be beneficial if accompanied by efforts to equip children with sufficient digital literacy and awareness.