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Written by
International team
4th April, 2025

Indonesia joins global effort to protect children from unregulated technology

Indonesia became the first country in Southeast Asia to pass binding regulations that hold tech companies accountable for children’s digital safety.

A young Asian boy on a laptop sat on a desk outside (you can see large foliage in the background that suggests this is in Southeast Asia). The camera is positioned so you can see the face of the boy looking at the laptop as he types. He looks inquisitive.

5Rights welcomes Indonesia’s move to protect its 84 million children online. 

Following two years of engagement and support from 5Rights — including capacity-building with government ministries, policy recommendations, and consultations with 80 Indonesian children — Indonesia has introduced their Government Regulation on the Governance of the Implementation of Electronic Systems in Child Protection.

This is Southeast Asia’s first binding regulation that holds tech companies accountable for providing safe, child-friendly digital products and services, by banning profiling for commercial purposes and strengthening data protections.

Indonesia’s Minister for Communication and Digital Affairs,  Meutya Hafid, emphasised that tech companies are now “prohibited from making children a commodity”. 

Welcoming the regulation, Marie-Ève Nadeau, 5Rights’ Head of International Affairs,  said:

“Building on General comment No. 25 to the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child and the UK’s Age-Appropriate Design Code, Indonesia has set a powerful precedent. The country is holding tech companies accountable and proving that governments can, and must, act to make the digital world safe for children. Now, others must follow.”

This is a great victory for children. Now, the global community must build on this momentum.