Indonesia’s Ministry of Communication and Digital Affairs has raised concerns over growing risks faced by children in the digital space, revealing that more than half of Indonesian minors have been exposed to sexually explicit content through social media platforms.
The government said the findings highlight the increasing urgency of strengthening child protection policies online as cyberbullying, digital predators, radicalization, and internet misuse among minors continue to rise.
Special Staff to the Minister of Communication and Digital Affairs, Alfreno Kautsar, stated that approximately 50.3% of children in Indonesia have encountered sexual content on social media platforms.
“About 50.3% of children have been exposed to sexual content through social media. If we imagine the scale, out of around 80 million children, nearly half have been exposed,” Alfreno said in an official statement released Wednesday.
He also revealed that approximately 48% of children in Indonesia have experienced some form of online gender-based violence.
The government views the situation as increasingly alarming as Indonesia continues to experience rapid digital transformation and wider internet penetration across younger age groups.
Authorities said the rapid expansion of digital technology has created new challenges for child protection, particularly as children gain earlier and broader access to smartphones, social media applications, online gaming platforms, and digital communication tools.
According to Alfreno, vulnerable age groups are now increasingly exposed to risks originating from online interactions and unrestricted digital access.
He explained that the government has identified two major categories of online risks affecting children: content risks and contact risks.
Both are considered highly dangerous because repeated exposure can influence children’s habits, personalities, attitudes, and long-term behavioral development.
Content risks refer to the possibility that children may encounter harmful or inappropriate material online due to unrestricted access to social media and digital platforms.
“Children who have access to social media can be exposed to any kind of content, whether negative or positive, and ultimately much of that becomes dependent on the children themselves,” Alfreno said.
Officials worry that algorithm-driven digital platforms may continuously expose children to harmful material including pornography, violence, misinformation, hate speech, gambling, self-harm content, and extremist narratives.
The ministry believes prolonged exposure to such material can negatively affect children’s psychological development and social behavior.
Meanwhile, contact risks involve interactions between children and unknown individuals through social media platforms, messaging applications, online communities, and digital forums.
Authorities warned that such interactions can expose minors to manipulation, exploitation, harassment, radicalization, and other forms of abuse.
“Today many of our children can communicate with strangers online, and afterward they may be fed harmful information such as radical ideology,” Alfreno said.
“In addition, child abuse and exploitation can also occur through these digital interactions.”
The government said online grooming and digital exploitation have become increasingly concerning as internet access among Indonesian children continues to expand rapidly.
Indonesia is one of the world’s largest digital markets, with millions of young users actively accessing platforms such as TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, Facebook, WhatsApp, and online gaming applications daily.
Officials argue that children are often insufficiently equipped to identify online dangers or protect themselves from manipulative digital behavior.
As a response to these growing risks, the government has introduced Government Regulation No. 17 of 2025 concerning Electronic System Governance for Child Protection, known locally as PP TUNAS.
The regulation aims to strengthen oversight of digital platforms while improving protections for children using electronic systems and online services.
Authorities say the regulation establishes clearer obligations for digital platform providers operating in Indonesia, particularly regarding child safety mechanisms, harmful content moderation, age verification systems, and reporting procedures.
The policy also seeks to encourage safer digital ecosystems while increasing public awareness about responsible internet use among children and parents.
Alfreno stressed that the government’s approach is not intended to restrict technological innovation or limit young people’s creativity in the digital economy.
Instead, he said the objective is to ensure that children understand the difference between safe and unsafe digital behavior while remaining protected from online threats.
“We never want to limit innovation for young people. We simply want young Indonesians to understand what is right and wrong,” Alfreno said.
“We only want Indonesian children to be protected from risks, but we are not trying to delay innovation.”
The government’s latest warning comes as policymakers worldwide face mounting pressure to regulate social media platforms and strengthen online child safety standards.
Countries across Europe, Asia, and North America have increasingly introduced stricter digital regulations addressing child privacy, harmful content exposure, cyberbullying, online exploitation, and platform accountability.
Global debates over children’s online safety have intensified amid growing evidence linking excessive or unsafe digital exposure to mental health issues, social anxiety, addiction, and behavioral problems among minors.
Indonesia has also faced increasing scrutiny over digital literacy and online safety standards as internet usage among children continues to rise sharply.
The country’s expanding digital economy has brought significant economic opportunities, but authorities acknowledge that rapid technological adoption has also created substantial social risks.
Government officials say collaboration between regulators, schools, parents, technology companies, and communities will be essential in creating safer online environments for children.
Digital literacy education is expected to become a key component of future government strategies, including programs aimed at helping children recognize online threats and encouraging parents to monitor digital activity more effectively.
The Ministry of Communication and Digital Affairs has repeatedly emphasized that protecting children online is becoming a national priority as Indonesia moves deeper into a digitally connected society.
Officials also believe stronger regulation alone will not be sufficient without broader public awareness and participation.
The government is expected to continue socializing the PP TUNAS regulation while working with digital platform providers to improve child protection standards across Indonesia’s rapidly growing online ecosystem.
As internet access expands further into younger demographics, policymakers warn that failure to strengthen digital safeguards could expose millions of Indonesian children to increasingly complex online risks in the coming years.
