JAKARTA: Online games that contain violence could be blocked in Indonesia if they do not comply with the Ministry of Communication and Informatics’ regulation on game classification, said an official at Indonesia’s Ministry of Women’s Empowerment and Child Protection.
“Blocking can be carried out if they do not follow the regulation’s classifications, especially for those containing violence, deviant sexual behaviour, and even online gambling,” said deputy minister for special protection of children, Nahar, who goes by one name. Mr Nahar was quoted by Antara on Monday (Apr 22).
Online games in Indonesia are regulated based on age classification and type of content as spelt out in the Ministry of Communication and Informatics’ Regulation Number 2 on Game Classifications.
The regulation states that games with violence, gambling, pornography, and those containing drug and alcohol use should not be intended for children and teenagers under the age of 18.
“The regulation contains an affirmation of administrative sanctions, even if (the game makers) do not include classification results … (they) can be subject to administrative sanctions, either a written warning, temporary suspension, or termination of game access,” said Mr Nahar when contacted by CNA.
According to a member of the Indonesian Child Protection Commission (KPAI), Kawiyan, who is also known by one name, online games that contain violence can be blocked based on the regulation.
“From the regulation, it is clear that it can be (blocked) if it has an impact on the behaviour of children who play the game,” said Mr Kawiyan.
Mr Kawiyan also suggested that parents who play along with their children could influence how long their children engage in the online games.
“Children who often play online games usually follow the behaviour (of their parents),” he said, quoted in Liputan6.
Mr Nahar said violent games, such as Free Fire made by Singapore-based Garena, will be reviewed for compliance with the regulations and their distribution will be closely monitored.
Indonesia is one of the countries with the highest number of online game players in the world. According to data from the Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy, the country had 174.1 million online game players in 2022.
The Ministry of Communication and Informatics revealed that Indonesia has the highest percentage of game players in Southeast Asia at 43 per cent. Indonesia is also the third-largest mobile game market based on downloads on Google Play.
Some of the most popular games in Indonesia are the battle royale genre such as Free Fire, Call of Duty or PUBG.
Experts have expressed concerns over the level of violence involved in such games where players attack each other with weapons and bare hands to beat each other and emerge victorious. They think that the violence shown can affect the behaviour of children who play them.
“Games like Free Fire contain intense scenes of violence, including combat and the use of weapons. Playing this kind of game repeatedly can desensitize children to violence,” psychologist Stenny Prawitasari told Detik.com last week.
She said that the government needs to pay more serious attention to the impact of online games on children.
According to Mr Nahar, this is also a concern of the Indonesian government.
He added that the ministry is currently preparing a roadmap for the protection of children from negative impacts in the digital space and not just limited to online games.
The roadmap, which is planned to be completed this year, involves three strategies: Prevention of misuse of information and communication technology, collaboration with stakeholders in child protection, and in handling misuse of information and communication technology that affects children in the online realm.
As part of this roadmap, the government is in the process of drafting a regulation to protect children from the potential harm of video games, in response to rising concerns around digital criminal activities, such as violence, pornography, sexual abuse, and bullying.
“This roadmap is made as a guide for the next five years to provide a foundation for ministries and institutions to complete their regulations and additional instruments in the blocking (of online games),” Mr Nahar told CNA.
Additional reporting by Amanda Puspita Sari
