Indonesia to ban social media for children under 16

Indonesia will ban social media for children under 16, its communication and digital affairs minister said on Friday.Meutya Hafid said in a statement to media said that she signed a government regulation that will mean children under the age of 16 can no longer have accounts on high-risk digital platforms, including YouTube, TikTok, Facebook, Instagram, Threads, X, Roblox and Bigo Live, a popular livestreaming site. With a population of about 285 million, the fourth-highest in the world, the south-east Asian nation represents a significant market for social networks.The implementation will start gradually from 28 March, until all platforms fulfill their compliance obligations.“The basis is clear. Our children face increasingly real threats. From exposure to pornography, cyberbullying, online fraud, and most importantly addiction. The government is here so that parents no longer have to fight alone against the giant of algorithms,” Hafid said.She added that the government is taking this step as the best effort in the midst of a digital emergency to reclaim sovereignty over children’s futures.“We realize that the implementation of this regulation may cause some discomfort at first. Children may complain and parents may be confused about how to respond to their children’s complaints,” Hafid said.Some residents and parents in Jakarta welcomed the government’s restrictions on access to social media, especially because children can gain unmonitored access to social media through mobile phones.“I think that it has been very worrying for minors, especially children. Because they have too much freedom with photos, videos and everything. Some education is educational, but some is misleading. So we really need to sort through social media again,” said Marianah, 43, who, like many Indonesians, uses a single name.Others suggested that the government should also block other harmful websites, such as pornography and online gambling sites.“As parents, we hope that online gambling and pornography websites can also be removed. So, in a sense, the government must also be fair. This is for the sake of the people themselves, for the children, and for the children’s growth and development,” said Harianto, 49, a resident in Jakarta.Earlier this week, Indonesia’s ministry of communication and digital affairs conducted a surprise inspection of Meta Platforms’ Jakarta office over concerns about the handling of harmful content on its platforms, including Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp.The ministry in a statement said that through this inspection, the minister of communication and information technology issued a stern warning regarding Meta’s low level of compliance with national regulations. TikTok and Meta did not immediately respond to requests for comment.Indonesia will be the first country in south-east Asia to restrict the access of children to social media.The restriction of social media access for teens began in Australia in December 2025. Social media companies have revoked access to about 4.7 million accounts identified as belonging to children in the country.Other countries, including Spain, France and the UK are also taking or are considering measures to restrict minors’ access to social media amid growing concern that children are being harmed by exposure to unregulated social media content.