Indonesia is preparing to implement a minimum age policy for users of social media. As a result, children will not be exposed to the negative aspects of the online world as they have in the past. Area Minister Meutya Hafid, who announced this, considers it a bold step on the part of the government.
At the same time, the minister points out that there is a similar law in Australia as well that restricts use of social media to children under 16 years of age. Other tech companies that do not comply with the law face heavy penalties as executive Karen Sanders observes. While Minister Hafid did not map out the minimum age for Indonesia, it is evident that there is an urgency to protect younger users. An idea was presented on how discussions to protect children in the digital space were related to YouTube Medium.” It explains the concept in a video that was distributed through the President’s office Youtube channel. “The president emphasized to me that it is time to implement these plans. He is very supportive how this kind of child abuse will be done in our together digital space.” The situation paints a disturbing picture that can be supported by numbers: In Indonesia, 79.5% of its population of 280 million people are internet users. Kpppr said yes in a separate survey 48% of children age 12 under have access to the internet and many have accounts in Facebook, programs Tik Tok and Instagram. This is far higher for ‘Gen Z’ users (those aged 12–27), where internet usage rises to 87%.
The results illustrate the weaknesses that young individuals possess when trying to interact in the online realm and casting a shadow of worry in relation to the vulnerable.
Source: The Financial Express
