RRI.CO.ID, Jakarta - The Indonesian government’s enactment of the Government Regulation on the Protection of Electronic Systems in Child Protection (PP Tunas) could serve as a benchmark for Global South countries implementing policies that restrict children’s use of social media.

Information technology expert Ismail Fahmi, founder of the Indonesian data analytics firm Drone Emprit and a lecturer at Universitas Islam Indonesia, conveyed this view. He noted that Indonesia’s move is significant due to its scale, as the country has the largest child population in the world, with around 70 million children covered by the regulation.

“Indonesia’s current position is strategic. We are not simply following a trend. We are setting an example for Global South countries,” Fahmi said on Wednesday, April 1, 2026, as quoted by Antara.

Government Regulation No. 17/2025 requires digital platforms to protect children online. It officially took effect on March 28, 2026. Key provisions include strict age verification, restrictions on social media access for children, a ban on profiling children’s data for advertising, and administrative sanctions for platforms that fail to comply.

The initial implementation applied to eight platforms: X, Bigo Live, Instagram, Threads, Facebook, YouTube, TikTok, and Roblox.

Indonesia’s policy protects 70 million children, nearly 18 times the number covered by Australia’s restrictions, which apply to about 4 million. “This makes the Tunas Regulation the largest digital child protection policy experiment in the world,” Fahmi said.

He added that the regulation provides parents with new tools to shield their children from harmful content and digital exploitation. Importantly, the policy shifts responsibility from children and parents to technology companies, requiring platforms to prioritize child safety alongside business operations.

“Forcing platforms to be responsible is crucial. The burden of compliance rests with the platforms, not the children or parents,” Fahmi said.

The Ministry of Communication and Digital (Kemkomdigi) is monitoring implementation to ensure compliance. It has summoned Meta (Instagram, Threads, Facebook) and Google (YouTube) for failing to meet requirements under the regulation, demonstrating the consequences for non-compliance.

Fahmi hopes that the government will impose stronger sanctions in the future, including economic penalties such as large fines, to further deter violations. ***