Social Media Restrictions Continue To Be Discussed, Important To Involve Children's Voices

The Ministry of Communication and Digital Affairs (Kemkomdigi) continues to formulate rules for limiting the use of social media based on age with the aim of protecting children from the digital space. Chairman of the Indonesian Child Protection Agency (LPAI) Seto Mulyadi emphasized the importance of hearing children's voices in the policy-making process.

Minister of Communication and Digital Affairs (Menkomdigi) Meutya Hafid has signed a decree to form a special work team. This team will discuss studies on restrictions on children making social media accounts, including child protection rules in the digital space.

The Minister of Trade said the working team consisting of representatives of ministries, academics, child education leaders, child observer institutions Save The Children Indonesia, Psychologists, Child Protection Institutions represented by Seto Mulyadi, and many related institutions working from February 3.

Meutya explained President Prabowo Subianto's wish regarding the acceleration of child protection rules in the digital space so that they can be resolved as soon as possible. The Ministry of Communication and Industry is given one to two months, according to Meutya.

The government also wants children to avoid access to pornography on the internet. Currently, Indonesia is ranked fourth in the world in access to the largest pornographic content.

According to data from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) 2024, content on Indonesian child pornography cases in the past four years has reached more than five million cases.

Meanwhile, the Association of Indonesian Internet Service Providers (APJII) in 2023 said the internet penetration rate in Indonesia reached 79.5 percent of Indonesia's total population of 279.3 million people according to data from the Central Statistics Agency (BPS).

Internet penetration was contributed quite large by Generation Z groups, namely those born between 1997 and 2012, up to 87.02 percent.

Meanwhile, the post-Z generation or those born after 2013 are also known to account for a fairly high number with a 48.10 percent penetration. They generally spend 97 percent of their time surfing in cyberspace using mobile devices.

LPAI chairman Seto Mulyadi said the Ministry of Communication and Trade's desire to regulate internet use time for children is everyone's dream, since several years ago. Representing LPAI, the man who is familiarly called Kak Seto appreciated the regulatory plan.

"We have conveyed the importance of strengthening child protection regulations in the digital space," said Kak Seto to VOI.

Not only as a victim, it turns out that the perpetrator was also originally a victim. The impact of digital violence on children can be very damaging, ranging from suicide cases, escape from home, to behavioral irregularities," he added.

However, he said that currently there is no agreement regarding the age of social media restrictions. Kak Seto stated that there are several parties who have proposed age limits, including the age of 13 years, 15 years, 17 years, to 18 years.

"This must be adjusted to the cultural system and customs, which are certainly different between Eastern Indonesia and Western Indonesia," he said again.

Social media, said Kak Seto, such as a double-edged knife, depends on the environment in guarding and guiding children. On the one hand, the internet is believed to have a number of negative impacts, so children must be protected from negative broadcasts or information.

But on the other hand, there is a child's right to get information that should not be ignored if there is a positive element.

Therefore, Kak Seto emphasized the importance of hearing children's voices in the policy-making process.

"Children need to be involved or heard their voices, not just adults. Children's basic rights other than their right to life are the right to growth and development. So don't let us turn off the source of information for children from the digital world by banning access at a certain age," he explained.

This is a step forward. The child's digital realm needs to be protected by tightening the rules, including electronic broadcasts. Parents need to step in to monitor children's spectacles," he said.