Indonesia drafting age verification, online child protection regulations

The Indonesian government is drafting child protection laws to protect them in the digital realm.

The Draft Government Regulation (RPP) is being handled by Jakarta’s Ministry of Communication and Digital and addresses public concerns over the risks of cyberspace for children.

“This regulation is presented not only as a government policy, but as a real form of response to the concerns of parents, educators, and the digital community who want a safe environment online,” said Minister of Communication and Digital Meutya Hafid.

A report by the ECPAT Indonesia and the National Commission for Child Protection 2023 found that more than 15,000 children were victims of online sexual exploitation, and 440,000 children aged between 10 and 20 have engaged in online gambling. According to data from the Indonesian Internet Service Providers Association (APJII) 2024, around 40 percent of children aged between five and 12 years access the internet for four to six hours per day.

The RPP on Child Protection in Digital Space will have three pillars. Firstly, digital platforms must implement age verification processes to ensure children are unable to access inappropriate content. This is a worldwide trend as countries around the world look to enforce mandatory age verification for online platforms to protect children against harm.

Secondly, there will be restrictions on harmful content such as online gambling, violence and pornography. The third pillar is ramping up digital literacy with education for children. Meutya invited parents, teachers and communities to help build a “healthy digital literacy culture at home and school.”

Meutya’s ministry has opened a public consultation forum as part of the regulation drafting, to hear input from NGOs, industry players, academics, parents and so on. The minister invited the “entire community” to provide input when the public consultation opens in March.

However, Meutya did not overlook the possible benefits of digital platforms such as YouTube or TikTok, as the internet can also be a tool for innovation and learning. “We want Indonesian children to not only consume content, but also create and innovate,” she said.

Article Topics

age verification  |  biometrics  |  children  |  digital identity  |  Indonesia  |  legislation  |  regulation