KPAI urges Kominfo, Police to block online games containing gambling

Jakarta (ANTARA) - Indonesia's National Child Protection Commission (KPAI) urged the Ministry of Communication and Informatics (Kominfo) and the National Police to block online gaming sites that contain elements of gambling."I believe that the government, in this case Kominfo and Polri, can do that. (These online gaming sites) should have been screened," KPAI Commissioner Diyah Puspitarini said when contacted from here on Sunday.Puspitarini conveyed this statement to respond to the trend of children playing online gambling, as found by research conducted by the Center for Financial Transaction Reporting and Analysis (PPATK).She said the government must take firm actions to protect children from the bad influence of online gambling by blocking these sites."Kominfo and the Police must crack down on these cybercrimes by early detecting and finding the sources. The government can block pornographic sites, and (I believe) they can do so on (online gambling) too," she explained.According to her, children's high curiosity is also a factor in the rising trend of minors accessing online gaming sites that are indicated to have elements of online gambling.Children who are victims of online gambling will generally become addicted to the game, which will also decrease their physical activity, she said."The element of betting makes them look for new challenges," she stated.In accordance with Article 20 of the Child Protection Law, parents and the community have an important role in protecting children, including preventing them from exposure to online gambling.She said parents in supervising their children need to improve their digital literacy so as not to be left behind by the dynamic technological developments.