June 2, 2026
JAKARTA – The Communications and Digital Ministry has warned that children can easily access pornographic content on social media due to weak age-verification systems and platform algorithms, underscoring the urgency of stronger safeguards mandated under the Child Protection in Digital Space Regulation (PP Tunas).
“Children can access sexually explicit content because age verification is weak […] and content is easily searchable on platforms,” the ministry’s digital space supervision director general Alexander Sabar told The Jakarta Post on Saturday, adding that recommendation algorithms and autoplay features could further expose underage users to inappropriate content.
Citing a 2023 study from UNICEF, Alexander said that 50.3 percent of Indonesian children had encountered sexually explicit content online, with exposure most frequently occurring on TikTok, followed by Meta-owned platforms Instagram and Facebook.
The same data was presented by the ministry in a digital literacy campaign earlier last week in Jakarta.
Under PP Tunas, Alexander said, digital platforms are required to adopt proactive measures to mitigate inappropriate content, including through tighter control over recommendation algorithms, content-distribution features, livestreaming and direct messaging services.
Since taking effect on March 28, PP Tunas has also required eight platforms, namely Facebook, Instagram, Threads, TikTok, YouTube, Bigo Live and gaming platform Roblox, to conduct self-assessments of risks faced by underage users.
Of the tech companies contacted by the Post, only TikTok and Meta provided an immediate response.
TikTok said that, prior to the rollout of PP Tunas, it had removed 11.3 million videos, including those containing sensitive or mature themes, in Indonesia between October and December 2025 for violating its community guidelines.
TikTok said it also “complies with PP Tunas”.
Meta, meanwhile, said that it had restricted its algorithms from recommending sexually suggestive content to child users.
To further strengthen protection, Meta said it has recently amplified its policy for users aged 13 and under by restricting interactions between them and other accounts that share explicit content and limiting searches for keywords associated with sensitive adult topics.
“We want to help parents feel more at ease when underage users use social media through a safer, age-appropriate online experience,” Meta Indonesia head of public policy Berny Moestafa said.
Multilayered intervention
University of Indonesia psychologist Vera Itabiliana said exposure to pornographic content on social media can potentially contribute to anxiety and depression among children and impair a child’s ability to form healthy relationships later in life.
She said that beyond parental supervision as the foundational protection for children who are still developing emotional maturity and digital discernment, the safeguards mandated under PP Tunas and proactive measures from social media companies serve as additional layers of protection.
“In the end, child presence in the digital world is unavoidable,” Vera told the Post on Friday. “The goal [of multilayered protection] is not only to protect children from risks, but also to equip them with the skills to recognize dangers, protect themselves, behave appropriately online and report inappropriate behavior they encounter there.”
Cybersecurity expert Alfons Tanujaya said on Friday that despite safeguards introduced both by the government and digital platforms, the primary responsibility for monitoring child activities remains with parents. Access restrictions, he added, serve as an external intervention “to ease the burden of parental supervision”.