Indonesia says 3 in 5 children fake age under new social media rules

Jakarta (ANTARA) - Three out of five children falsify their age to gain access to social media platforms, Indonesia's Deputy Minister of Communication and Digital Affairs Nezar Patria said on Sunday, as authorities push ahead with new online child protection rules.

He said the practice poses a major challenge to implementing Government Regulation No. 17 of 2025 on Electronic System Governance for Child Protection (PP TUNAS), as age verification is carried out entirely through systems operated by individual digital platforms.

“A survey shows that out of every five children, three are confirmed to have falsified their age in order to access social media. This has become a common practice,” he said on Sunday, citing a government-referenced survey.

The government has urged digital platforms to strengthen age assurance technologies while ensuring compliance with personal data protection principles, Patria said.

“We have conveyed this to the platforms because they are the ones capable of regulating this through the technological solutions they possess. However, age verification must also continue to comply with personal data protection principles,” he said.

Patria noted that several platforms have begun implementing stricter age verification measures. By leveraging algorithms, platforms are now able to identify account usage patterns that indicate an account may belong to an underage user, including those accessing age-inappropriate content.

“Some platforms have already started imposing restrictions. There have been cases where children who previously had accounts can no longer access them because the system has identified them as underage users,” he added.

Beyond technological improvements by platforms, Patria emphasized that parental involvement remains the most important factor in protecting children in the digital environment.

The government is also promoting the use of companion accounts and parental guidance mechanisms to allow parents to monitor their children's online activities more effectively.

Indonesia is the first and only country in Southeast Asia to implement PP TUNAS, Patria said, adding that the regulation has drawn attention from other governments in the region.

“Australia introduced similar measures earlier and continues to evaluate them. Malaysia, I understand, is also preparing comparable policies. Other countries are beginning to observe how Indonesia is approaching child protection in the digital space,” he said.

Patria said the government would not compromise on protecting children online despite technical challenges and the commercial interests of digital platforms.

Related news: Indonesia lifts 11-year Reddit ban after regulatory compliance

Related news: Minister asks parents to aware on four digital risks for children

Related news: RI considers requiring phone numbers for social media accounts

Translator: Farhan Arda, Kuntum Khaira

Editor: Azis Kurmala

Copyright © ANTARA 2026