With the pace of technological change today, the internet can feel both full of promise and anxieties - especially when considering the next generation of Indonesians. 

Today, about 89% of Indonesian children use the internet daily. For many of them, the internet is simply part of everyday life. It is where they learn, explore interests, make friends and, increasingly, develop skills and discover new opportunities. 

On one hand, we celebrate Indonesia’s digital rise. Young Indonesians are building startups, creating content, and competing on a global stage. Digital platforms have expanded social mobility and democratised access to knowledge. 

In rural communities, a new generation is using social media and e-commerce to build entrepreneurial skills and share their creativity with wider audiences. Founder of snack brand Cikemam, Nur Azizah Dewi Kurniasari, turned to social media to introduce the flavours of her hometown in Cimahi, West Java to new customers beyond her local community. Meanwhile in Tapen, East Java, Imam Januar taught himself content creation and pays it forward today — by mentoring young people in his village and even establishing a “creator house”.

According to the Ministry of Cooperatives and SMEs, more than a quarter of Indonesian youth are involved in some form of business activity. For many, the internet is not just entertainment — it is a pathway to learning, creativity, and economic participation.

Not Whether to Protect Against Online Risks — But How
On the other hand, the risks are equally visible. Scams targeting families, online bullying, data breaches, and harmful content reaching children too early. When it comes to our children, safety comes first. It is no surprise that four in five Indonesian parents support proposals to regulate children’s social media use. Children deserve an online environment where they can learn and express themselves without exposure to serious harm. 

We therefore support Komdigi’s objective to strengthen online safety frameworks. PP Tunas — which has been in effect since 28 March — reflects the Government’s commitment to set clearer expectations for digital platforms operating in Indonesia. The question is not whether to act — but how, so that in protecting our children, we do not unintentionally narrow their world.

What PP Tunas Means in Practice
Under the current framework, platforms must conduct formal risk assessments covering contact with strangers, harmful content, addictive design, consumer exploitation, psychological harm, physiological harm, and data protection. 

Networking and social media services are presumed high-risk by default. Beyond that, many other mainstream services — such as gaming, and even professional networks and community-based platforms — are likely to be classified as “high risk” because they include features such as messaging, user-generated content, algorithmic recommendations or monetisation tools.

In practice, a single triggered risk factor can result in an entire service being categorised as high risk, even where safeguards are already embedded. For high-risk platforms, children under 16 would not be allowed to hold accounts. This means platforms must deactivate all accounts of children under 16.

When Classification Becomes Personal
On paper, this sounds like a technical classification. To a young Indonesian, it is deeply personal.

It could mean a young coder unable to participate in open-source communities where collaboration happens. A 15-year-old entrepreneur losing access to tools that teach marketing, analytics and financial literacy. A language student is cut off from real-time exchanges with native speakers. A young Indonesian artist unable to post work, receive feedback and share culture globally because comment sections or discovery feeds trigger a high-risk label.

Even definitions of harmful content must be carefully framed. Without context, educational materials, historical documentation or news reporting could be unintentionally swept up in restrictions.

These are not abstract concerns. Early adolescence is formative. These are the years when confidence grows and lifelong skills take shape. Today, many of those skills — digital literacy, collaboration, entrepreneurship and cultural exchange — are developed online. If access is restricted too broadly, we reduce exposure not only to risk, but also to opportunity.

International experience also shows why careful calibration matters. Australia’s recent move to ban social media access for users under 16 — one of the first policies of its kind — has already sparked debate about its effectiveness. Early reports suggest many teenagers continue accessing platforms through workarounds or alternative accounts. Data from parental control firm Qustodio found that one in five Australian teens under 16 were still using social media despite the ban. Experts warn that removing access alone does not automatically build digital literacy or safer online habits, and may instead push young people toward less regulated parts of the internet.

A Smarter Way Forward
This is not an argument against strong protection. It is a call for a more balanced and thoughtful approach. Risk is not the same across all platforms. It depends on how a service is used, who it is designed for and what safeguards are in place. Rather than treating all services with certain features as equally risky, the framework can assess risk in context and recognize when it has been meaningfully reduced.

Many platforms have already introduced stronger safety tools: supervised teen accounts, limits on contact from unknown users, privacy settings enabled by default, screen-time reminders, and improved content filters. Good regulation should build on these efforts and encourage further innovation.

When platforms invest in real safety measures, and support for that effort is recognised and reflected in the risk classification, it creates the right incentives. Companies compete to improve protections. Parents gain confidence. Children remain both safe and connected.

It Takes a Village
As the real effects of the regulation starts to unfold over the next few months, this moment offers an important opportunity to observe how the policy works in practice, and to ensure its implementation supports both protection and opportunity for young Indonesians. 

Good policy evolves. As experience with the regulation grows, it will be important to continually review and refine the approach. Effective policy requires careful design, technical understanding and broad consultation. That means engaging not only industry, but also relevant ministries such as the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Women’s Empowerment and Child Protection, alongside educators, civil society, parents and youths themselves. A cross-sector approach ensures that regulation reflects the real experiences and needs of children — not just the mechanics of platforms — and keeps their wellbeing truly at the centre.

Indonesia has set a bold ambition: to produce nine million digital talents by 2030. With one of the largest and youngest online populations in the world, the choices we make today will shape how that generation grows up — and whether they are equipped with both the protection they deserve and the opportunities they need to thrive.

PP Tunas has the potential to be more than a protective shield. With thoughtful refinement, it can become a blueprint for how to safeguard every child while ensuring no Indonesian is left behind in the digital future.

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Lih Shiun Goh is the managing director of Asia Tech Alliance
 The views expressed in this article are those of the author