JAKARTA, Indonesia -- Indonesia volition prohibition societal media for children nether 16, Communication and Digital Affairs Minister Meutya Hafid said Friday.
Hafid successful a connection to media said that she conscionable signed a authorities regularisation that volition mean children nether the property of 16 tin nary longer person accounts connected high-risk integer platforms, including YouTube, TikTok, Facebook, Instagram, Threads, X, Bigo Live and Roblox.
The implementation volition commencement gradually from March 28, until each platforms fulfill their compliance obligations.
“The ground is clear. Our children look progressively existent threats. From vulnerability to pornography, cyberbullying, online fraud, and astir importantly addiction. The authorities is present truthful that parents nary longer person to combat unsocial against the elephantine of algorithms.” Hafid said.
She added that the authorities is taking this measurement arsenic the champion effort successful the midst of a integer exigency to reclaim sovereignty implicit children’s futures.
“We recognize that the implementation of this regularisation whitethorn origin immoderate discomfort astatine first. Children whitethorn kick and parents whitethorn beryllium confused astir however to respond to their children’s complaints,” Hafid said.
Residents and parents successful Jakarta welcomed the government’s restrictions connected entree to societal media, particularly due to the fact that children person entree to societal media done mobile phones.
“I deliberation that it has been precise worrying for minors, particularly children. Because they person excessively overmuch state with photos, videos and everything. Some acquisition is educational, but immoderate is misleading. So we truly request to benignant done societal media again,” said Marianah, 43, who similar galore Indonesians uses a azygous name.
Others suggested that the authorities should besides artifact different harmful websites, specified arsenic pornography and online gambling sites.
“As parents, we anticipation that online gambling and pornography websites tin besides beryllium removed. So, successful a sense, the authorities indispensable besides beryllium fair. This is for the involvement of the radical themselves, for the children, and for the children’s maturation and development,” said Harianto, 49, a nonmigratory successful Jakarta.
Earlier this week, Indonesia’s Ministry of Communication and Digital Affairs conducted a astonishment inspection of Meta Platforms’ Jakarta bureau implicit concerns astir the handling of harmful contented connected its platforms, including Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp.
The ministry successful a connection said that done this inspection, the Minister of Communication and Information Technology issued a stern informing regarding Meta’s debased level of compliance with nationalist regulations.
The Associated Press has sent email requests for remark to TikTok and Meta, but has not yet received a response.
Indonesia volition beryllium the archetypal state successful Southeast Asia to restrict the entree of children to societal media.
The regularisation of societal media entree for teens began successful Australia successful December 2025. Social media companies person revoked entree to astir 4.7 cardinal accounts identified arsenic belonging to children successful Australia.
Other countries, including Spain, France, and the UK are besides taking oregon are considering measures to restrict minors’ entree to societal media amid increasing interest that children are being harmed by vulnerability to unregulated societal media content.
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