Indonesia, Australia partner to protect children in digital space

Jakarta (ANTARA) - Indonesia and Australia have agreed to strengthen bilateral coordination and collaboration to protect children in the digital space following a high-level ministerial meeting in Jakarta, officials said Friday.

Indonesian Communication and Digital Minister Meutya Hafid met with Australian Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke to align regulatory frameworks and enforce accountability among social media platforms.

“Indonesia and Australia should not wait for global developments to consolidate before taking collective action,” Hafid said following the bilateral talks.

"The two countries can optimize respective regulations and experiences to build a concrete bilateral and regional cooperation."

Hafid highlighted the policy alignment between both nations, noting that Indonesia restricts minors' platform access under Government Regulation No. 17 of 2025, while Australia has implemented age-based social media restrictions.

"The same policy direction opens new opportunities to synchronize monitoring and ensure digital platforms carry out their obligations," Hafid added.

Beyond child safety online, the two ministers discussed cybersecurity resilience, digital talent development, and governance frameworks for artificial intelligence.

Hafid revealed that Indonesia is currently drafting a presidential regulation on AI Alongside a national development roadmap and ethical code.

To operationalize the agreement, Indonesia proposed establishing a joint bilateral working group to draft concrete enforcement measures and ensure tech platforms comply with domestic safeguards.

“Our measure of success will be whether digital platforms comply with our regulations and whether the protections in place effectively safeguard children and families,” Hafid remarked.

Translator: Livia Kristianti, Nabil Ihsan
Editor: Aditya Eko Sigit Wicaksono
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