Parents Need to Know, Here are the New Rules for Accessing Social Media for Children

JAKARTA - As the use of social media among children becomes more massive, concerns about exposure to negative content in the digital space continue to increase. In this case, regulations that are able to protect children in the digital world are considered increasingly urgent to be implemented.

The Riau Islands child observer, Ery Syahrial, assessed the presence of Government Regulation Number 17 of 2025 concerning the Governance of the Electronic System in the Protection of Children (PP Tunas) as an important step to maintain child safety in the digital era.

He explained that children from birth to the age of 16 are vulnerable groups who need extra protection, especially from exposure to high-risk content on social media.

"We must support the government through the Ministry of Communication and Digital which has made PP Tunas, by limiting access to social media for children under the age of 16," he said.

According to him, unlimited access to social media can have serious impacts, not only for children individually, but also for the family and community environment. He highlighted that there have been many cases of children involved in negative actions due to the influence of digital content.

Ery hopes that this regulation will be able to become a fortress in protecting children from various threats, including mental and psychological disorders due to the consumption of content that is not age-appropriate.

"Hopefully, PP Tunas can keep children's minds away from the toxic content of social media that is dangerous for their future," he said.

Furthermore, he reminded that the dream of Indonesia Gold 2045 would be difficult to achieve if the use of social media in children was not controlled early. The phenomenon of excessive use of gadgets, especially among young people, is considered increasingly worrying.

He also cited that a number of developed countries have previously implemented restrictions on access to social media for minors. Although Indonesia is considered late, the government's steps are still worthy of appreciation.

However, he emphasized the importance of proper technical arrangements so that this policy does not restrict children's rights to access positive information.

Ery also encourages the existence of a safe and educational digital platform for children, including the use of a joint account between parents and children as a form of supervision.

"So far we don't know the technical details of the implementation of the PP Tunas, whether children under the age of 16 should not access social media at all, or are excluded for certain things," he explained.

Meanwhile, Meutya Hafid said that technology companies such as Meta, which oversees Facebook, Instagram, and Threads, have expressed their readiness to follow the rules by setting a minimum age limit of 16 years for users.