The implementation of Government Regulation Number 17 of 2025 concerning the Governance of Electronic Systems for Child Protection (PP TUNAS) in educational institutions cannot stand alone as a mere normative regulation. It requires strong orchestration from upstream to downstream, from local governments (Pemda) as policy makers to schools as the spaces for daily educational practice. Without collective strengthening across actors, PP TUNAS risks stalling at the administrative level without significant impact on child protection and development.
In this context, the role of local governments is crucial as the driving force behind implementation. Local governments are not only tasked with translating central regulations into regional policies but also ensuring budgetary support, oversight, and technical assistance for educational institutions. Furthermore, local governments also serve as a coordination hub for various stakeholders, including education offices, social services offices, law enforcement officials, and community groups.
Several parties emphasized that the implementation approach to the TUNAS Regulation must be collaborative and educational. The success of the TUNAS Regulation implementation is largely determined by synergy between the central and regional governments, as well as the active involvement of schools in creating a safe and inclusive learning environment. This regulation is not solely the responsibility of the bureaucracy but also requires collective awareness at the grassroots level.
The Minister of Communication and Digital, Meutya Hafid, emphasized the urgency of protecting children in the digital space through the implementation of Government Regulation Number 17 of 2025 concerning the Governance of Electronic Systems for Child Protection (PP TUNAS).
Meutya Hafid highlighted the high level of internet and social media use among children, which has the potential to pose various risks if not balanced with adequate supervision and digital literacy. According to her, one of the biggest challenges facing children today is exposure to age-inappropriate content, interactions with strangers, and even addiction to gadgets and online games. Digital addiction can seriously impact children’s learning processes, social relationships, and even health.
Meutya Hafid also reminded that interactions in the digital world are riskier than interactions in the real world, because children can connect with anyone without geographical boundaries, including strangers.
As a protective measure, the government is encouraging restrictions on social media use for children up to the age of 16. This policy is based on studies by experts, including psychologists and medical personnel.
Meutya stated that the role of schools, families, and local governments is crucial in overseeing the implementation of this policy, including through implementing regulations such as restrictions on cell phone use in school environments.
At the regional level, legislative support also plays a crucial role. The Regional People’s Representative Council (DPRD), as a representative institution, has a supervisory function and enforces policies through implementing regulations and budgeting. Members of the Malang City DPRD also highlighted the importance of an educational approach in the implementation of the TUNAS Regulation.
Ginanjar Yoni Wardoyo, a member of Commission D of the Malang City DPRD, stated that the implementation of the Tunas Regulation aims to protect children from exposure to harmful content such as pornography, gambling, and violence, which can damage their character and the development of their mindset. Therefore, this educational approach is expected to build parental awareness and ensure maximum supervision. This also instills an understanding in children as part of effective parenting.
Ginanjar Yoni Wardoyo explained that teachers’ supervisory authority over students, especially those under 16, is limited to the school environment. This creates a gap in supervision when children are at home, where they may use accounts belonging to older relatives. Therefore, education that engages parents is key to maintaining children’s digital safety.
Local governments are encouraged to collaborate with schools to maximize meetings with parents. School committee forums can be an effective platform for comprehensively disseminating the PP TUNAS. Through this intensive outreach, it is hoped that parental awareness will be fully developed.
This increased awareness will enable parents to maximally supervise their children’s digital activities. Furthermore, it also instills in children a crucial understanding of the dangers of negative content. The family is the earliest and most fundamental setting for educating children about the safe use of technology.
The implementation of PP TUNAS is on the right track, prioritizing a collaborative and educational approach. However, the biggest challenge lies in consistency and sustainability. Policy implementation cannot be sporadic or dependent on specific opportunities; it must be part of an integrated system.
The success of PP TUNAS will be largely determined by the extent to which local governments and schools are able to work together within a mutually reinforcing framework. From local governments providing policies and support to schools translating child protection values into concrete practices, all must move with a shared vision.
PP TUNAS is not just about regulation, but about the future of Indonesian children. And that future can only be realized if there is real collective empowerment from local governments to schools, from policy to practice, from commitment to action.
*) The author is a contributor to the Indonesian Strategic Information Study Institute