JAKARTA, RAKYAT NEWS – The Ministry of Communication and Digital (Komdigi) is planning to invite major social media platforms, such as Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and X (formerly Twitter), to discuss regulations on restricting children’s access to social media. This move comes as part of the ministry’s effort to implement policies aimed at limiting minors from creating social media accounts. The regulation will be in the form of a government regulation (PP) under the Electronic Information and Transactions Law (UU ITE), providing a legal framework for the proposed rules.

Komdigi’s goal is to strengthen the regulation on children’s social media usage to ensure a safer online environment for minors. In collaboration with the Indonesian Child Protection Agency (LPAI) and the Center for Education and Policy Studies (PSPK), the ministry is carefully considering these new measures. This includes analyzing the impact of social media on children and determining appropriate age limits for account creation.

Molly Prabawaty, Special Staff for Communications at Komdigi, stated in a press conference that the ministry will hold a series of Focus Group Discussions (FGD) with digital platform representatives to gather feedback on the proposed regulations. These discussions will also include input from teachers and children to ensure a comprehensive understanding of the issue.

Minister of Communication and Digital, Meutya Hafid, emphasized that the ministry aims to create a strong, evidence-based policy. To achieve this, the ministry is involving various stakeholders, including child protection experts, educators, and social media platforms, in the consultation process.

The ministry is committed to ensuring that the new rules are well-informed and effective in safeguarding children’s online experiences.

The proposed regulation will address several key issues, including the prohibition of child profiling in the digital realm and the establishment of age restrictions for social media use. Additionally, it will focus on preventing children from being exposed to harmful content online and ensuring that social media platforms provide educational resources to their users.

The regulation also includes measures to ensure that online platforms can accurately identify and restrict access for underage users. Social media companies will be required to enhance their technologies to prevent children from pretending to be adults in order to bypass age restrictions. This aims to create a safer online environment for children and reduce their exposure to inappropriate content.

Another crucial aspect of the regulation is the establishment of a risk classification system for electronic system providers (PSE) that cater to children. These providers will be required to evaluate the potential risks to children and develop strategies to mitigate them. Additionally, the regulation will call for the formulation of specific indicators to measure the digital maturity of children before they can access certain online platforms.

Komdigi’s effort to create a balanced and effective regulation comes at a time when concerns over children’s online safety are growing. The ministry hopes to strike a balance between protecting children from digital harm while also ensuring that they can enjoy the benefits of technology and social media in a safe and responsible manner.

The ongoing consultations with various stakeholders are expected to refine the regulations further, ensuring that they are both practical and beneficial for children’s well-being. (Uki Ruknuddin)