Jakarta, September 9, 2026 – The Europe Today: Indonesia and the United States have agreed to expand digital cooperation in artificial intelligence (AI) and online child protection, as Jakarta seeks to accelerate technology adoption while strengthening safeguards and risk-based regulation.
Indonesian Communication and Digital Affairs Minister Meutya Hafid said the country’s openness to global technological developments must be accompanied by regulatory certainty and responsible implementation.
“Technology must benefit society. Therefore, cooperation and its implementation must remain within the framework of national interests, including ensuring that people have a safe digital space,” Meutya said on Tuesday.
She made the remarks during a meeting with Joy M. Sakurai, Chargé d’Affaires ad interim at the US Embassy in Indonesia, at the Ministry of Communication and Digital Affairs in Central Jakarta.
The meeting focused on AI development and policies to protect children in digital environments, as Indonesia prepares a new governance framework for the development and use of AI.
Meutya said the government was developing an AI governance framework based on levels of risk, with the aim of supporting innovation while providing greater certainty regarding the safety and responsible use of AI.
She said the AI roadmap was being prepared in response to the high level of AI adoption in Indonesia, particularly among younger people.
“We are introducing risk-based regulation not to hinder innovation, but to build public safety and trust in technology,” she said.
The government is also preparing a Responsible AI framework that would classify AI applications into unacceptable, high-risk and low-risk categories.
According to Meutya, regulatory requirements would subsequently be tailored to the characteristics of individual sectors through sector-specific regulations.
The two countries also discussed measures to strengthen online protection for children. Indonesia is adopting an age- and risk-based approach rather than imposing a blanket ban on children’s access to digital platforms.
Under the planned framework, independent account ownership would be restricted according to the level of risk associated with each platform. Users of high-risk platforms would be required to be at least 16 years old, while the minimum age for lower-risk platforms would be 13.
Meutya also called on major technology companies to redesign their products to make them more child-friendly, including by limiting screen time and preventing children from accessing chats with strangers without parental consent.
The United States welcomed Indonesia’s efforts to strengthen digital governance and offered cooperation through the AI Export Center in San Francisco, as well as expert assistance and support for the implementation of AI across Indonesian government agencies.
The discussions underscored the two countries’ shared interest in promoting responsible technological innovation while ensuring safety, public trust and stronger protections for children in the digital environment.
