Jakarta (ANTARA) – Communication and Digital Affairs Minister Meutya Hafid emphasized that the Government Regulation on Electronic System Governance for Child Protection, known as PP Tunas, is crucial to safeguarding children’s privacy and data in the digital space.The measure is considered necessary following various studies and legal cases in other countries where children’s data and privacy have been exploited or monetized in unethical and irresponsible ways.“We are introducing this regulation to protect children’s private data. Currently, this data is spread across various social media platforms, and children often do not know what information should or should not be shared,” she said at her ministry’s office in Jakarta on Friday.As technology and social media become increasingly central to daily life, the responsibility of digital platforms to protect children online has grown more urgent.Digital platforms are urged to provide equal protection for all children online, regardless of ethnicity, nationality, religion, or other factors.“Children in Asia are just as valuable as those in Europe. Regardless of their ethnicity, nationality, or religion, children anywhere in the world have equal worth,” Hafid said.To this end, PP Tunas is expected to ensure that no child is harmed due to insufficient protection in the digital space.The regulation, which takes effect on March 28, 2026, restricts children’s access to high-risk platforms. In its initial phase, eight platforms are targeted: YouTube, TikTok, Facebook, Threads, Instagram, X, Bigo Live, and Roblox.As of 9:30 p.m. on March 27, 2026, one day before the regulation takes effect, only two platforms, X and Bigo Live, were fully compliant.TikTok and Roblox were classified as partially compliant, while the remaining platforms – Facebook, Threads, Instagram, and YouTube – had yet to meet the requirements set out in the regulation.