Indonesian Parents Urged to Monitor Gadget Use Amidst Rising Digital Extremism Threats

Parents in Indonesia are being urged to intensify supervision of their children's gadget usage as radical and extremist groups increasingly leverage digital platforms to spread their ideologies. The Indonesian Child Protection Commission (KPAI) emphasizes that electronic devices have become a primary entry point for such dangerous influences.

Aris Adi Leksono, the KPAI Chair, stated on Thursday, July 30, 2026, that gadgets pose a significant risk, with many cases of children exposed to extremist beliefs originating from their device use. He stressed the critical need for parents to monitor what their children access online. This call comes as the National Counterterrorism Agency (BNPT) reported rehabilitating approximately 250 children exposed to extremism between late 2024 and 2025.

BNPT Head Eddy Hartono noted a shift in terrorism threats, with the internet now serving as a tool for recruitment, counter-propaganda, and financing, specifically targeting women, children, and teenagers. The KPAI's focus on parental supervision aims to detect children's involvement in high-risk online content or discussion groups that could lead them toward extremism.

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Therefore, parents need to pay attention to what their children access.

Beyond monitoring digital content, parents are encouraged to be vigilant about changes in their children's behavior. Signs such as increased withdrawal, isolation, antisocial tendencies, and reluctance to socialize or confide in family members can indicate psychological distress or exposure to harmful influences. The KPAI believes that a lack of attention and open dialogue at home can drive children to seek validation elsewhere, potentially leading them to extremist-affiliated digital communities.

To combat this, the KPAI advocates for fostering open, two-way communication within families, providing emotional support, and actively engaging in children's development, particularly in the digital realm. Instilling strong character, promoting social responsibility, encouraging positive social interaction, and creating space for children to voice their concerns are seen as vital preventive measures against exploitation by radical networks.

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It is important to instill character, strengthen the sense of social responsibility, interact well with others, communicate openly, give children space to speak, understand their grievances, and so on.