JAKARTA, Jan 8 — The Indonesian Communication and Digital Affairs Ministry has said the spread of radical ideology on online gaming platforms occurs through social interactions such as private chats, voice chats, and in-game community features.
ANTARA News Agency reported that the ministry's Digital Space Supervision Director General Alexander Sabar said the National Counterterrorism Agency (BNPT) is monitoring a number of interaction- and community-based online gaming platforms, as they have the potential to be misused for radicalisation targeting children.
“What is of concern is not the online game content itself, but the use of interaction features such as private chat, voice chat, and in-game communities,” he told ANTARA today.
Sabar added that social features in games can be misused to build a sense of trust and intimacy with child users, a process known as grooming.
Perpetrators then redirect victims to closed channels outside the gaming platform before gradually exposing them to intolerant narratives and radical ideologies.
According to BNPT data, in 2025, approximately 112 children across 26 provinces were identified as having been exposed to radical ideology through digital spaces, including social media and online games.
He said the ministry is addressing the issue firmly through cross-ministerial and inter-agency coordination. BNPT is responsible for prevention and counter-radicalisation efforts, while the ministry oversees supervision of digital space, including access termination and content moderation, in line with existing regulations.
“Throughout 2025, some 21,199 pieces of content containing intolerance, radicalism, and terrorism were handled. Of these, 8,768 digital contents containing terrorism and radicalism from October 2024 to December 2025 were submitted for further action,” Sabar said.
In addition to enforcement, the ministry is strengthening preventive measures through the Indonesia Game Rating System (IGRS).
IGRS applies risk-based age classifications that serve as mandatory references for game publishers and platform providers to help protect children from harmful digital exposure.
