March 25, 2026 | 06:49 am
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - While the Indonesian government officially delays access to social media for children under the age of 16, technology company Apple has provided a number of features to help parents protect their children when using digital devices.
The Indonesian government's move is part of the implementation of Government Regulation No. 17 of 2025 concerning the Governance of Electronic Systems in Child Protection (PP Tunas). Its derivative regulation, Ministry of Communication and Digital Regulation No. 9 of 2026, will start to be implemented on March 28, 2026, including the deactivation of accounts for children under 16 on a number of high-risk platforms, such as YouTube, TikTok, Facebook, Threads, Instagram, X, Bigo Live, and Roblox.
Here are three ways Apple protects children in the digital space:
1. Create a Child Account
A child account is a special Apple account for users under 13 years old (or up to 18 years old) managed by a parent or guardian within a family group.
This account is equipped with age-based settings, such as web content filtering to block dangerous or explicit sites, Communication Safety features that detect and blur sensitive photos and videos in various communication services, and Ask to Buy feature that requires parental approval before a child can download apps, including free ones.
In the latest operating systems, such as iOS 26, iPadOS 26, macOS Tahoe 26, and watchOS 26, similar protection is automatically active for users aged 13-17, including app limitations, content filters, and communication monitoring.
To create a child account, parents can start it through the Settings menu on the device. From there, select the Family option, then tap Add Member. Next, select Create a Child Account and continue by following the available on-screen instructions.
2. Activate Screen Time
The Screen Time feature allows parents to monitor and manage their child's device usage. Through this feature, parents can see the activities of apps and sites accessed and set usage limits as needed.
Screen Time settings can be locked with a passcode. If the child knows the code, the system will send a notification to the parent's device. This notification alerts the parent to immediately change the passcode and evaluate device usage with the child.
When tested by Tempo, after tapping the child account in the Screen Time menu, the user will be directed to the initial parent control setting page. At this stage, the system prompts to determine the child's age through a slider available. This age selection will automatically adjust content restrictions, ranging from website access, apps, to movies and TV shows based on the selected age category.
After that, the user can also view and adjust restriction details, such as adult site filtering, app age limits, and content filters on books and media. If the settings are deemed appropriate, the user or parent can immediately enable restrictions by pressing the "Turn On Restrictions" button, before proceeding to advanced settings such as weekly reports and device usage time restrictions.
3. Enable Ask to Buy
This feature ensures that every app download must have parental approval. Approval can be given remotely through notifications on the parent's device, or directly from the child's device.
In addition, parents can revoke app permissions at any time through the Screen Time settings. If permission is revoked, the child will automatically no longer be able to access the app.
To enable this feature, parents can open the Settings app, then go to the Family menu. After that, select the child's name and tap the Ask to Buy option, then activate the Require Purchase Approval setting.
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