Indonesia’s Communications and Digital Affairs Ministry has completed drafting penalties for social media platforms that do not comply with the country’s Child Protection in Digital Space Regulation, known as PP TUNAS. The penalties range from fines to blocking access to non-compliant platforms. The regulation, which took effect in March, seeks to safeguard children from harmful online content, including pornography, cyberbullying, exploitation, and addiction.
Following a six-month review of compliance, Communications and Digital Affairs Minister Meutya Hafid highlighted that several major platforms had yet to meet their obligations under the regulation. These include Meta’s Facebook, Instagram, and Threads; Alphabet’s YouTube; and ByteDance’s TikTok. The government has set a deadline for these platforms to complete self-assessments by December 31, after which authorities will conduct independent reviews if necessary.
Under the new penalty framework, large-scale or global platforms face fines amounting to 6 percent of their global revenue for violations. Domestic electronic system providers (PSEs) are subject to scaled fines based on business size, with a maximum penalty of 1 billion rupiah (approximately S$71,700) for micro-enterprises and up to 10 billion rupiah for medium-sized entities. These formulas were developed through public consultations and have been submitted to the Finance Ministry for further regulation.
PP TUNAS classifies digital platforms into three tiers according to the risks they pose to children. High-risk platforms—such as social media, chat applications, streaming services, and certain online games—must restrict users under 16, requiring parental authorization for minors. The high-risk category includes well-known platforms Meta’s Facebook, Instagram, and Threads; Alphabet’s YouTube; ByteDance’s TikTok; the gaming platform Roblox; XAI’s social network X; and Joyy’s live-streaming app Bigo Live. Medium-risk platforms, including e-commerce and general streaming services, may permit users aged 13 to 15 with verified parental consent.
Minister Hafid acknowledged that some high-risk platforms have taken steps toward compliance. Roblox, for example, implemented a strict age-estimation system, migrating 23 million users to Roblox Kids, which enforces tighter controls on chat, content, and interactions. However, other platforms have made limited progress. X reported only 250,000 accounts under 16, significantly below government estimates of seven million, and lacks a local representative office. The ministry urged X to establish one to facilitate better coordination and monitoring.
Meta platforms were also found to fall short of full compliance. The government estimates approximately 33 million accounts belonging to users under 16 remain active across Facebook, Instagram, and Threads, contrasting with Meta's May report listing just 184,000 such accounts on Facebook. While Meta has committed in writing to meet PP TUNAS requirements and recently agreed to a US$85 billion settlement in the United States over allegations of harm to children, Indonesian officials remain skeptical. Minister Hafid said, “We assess that Meta is still failing to protect children in Indonesia.”
The ministry continues to push for stricter enforcement to ensure digital environments in Indonesia are safer for children amidst growing concerns from parents, lawmakers, and advocacy groups.