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Indonesia has announced plans to restrict children under 16 from accessing social media platforms to protect them from inappropriate content online, cyberbullying and internet addiction.
The country’s Communications Minister Meutya Hafid, in a statement shared on Friday, revealed that social media accounts belonging to children under 16 will be deactivated.
“Accounts belonging to children under 16 on high-risk platforms will start to be deactivated, beginning with YouTube, TikTok, Facebook, Instagram, Threads, X, Bigo Live, and Roblox,” said Hafid.
“The government is stepping in so that parents no longer have to fight alone against the giants of the algorithm. Implementation will begin on March 28, 2026.”
According to her, the ban will be introduced in stages “until all platforms fulfil their compliance obligations.” She added that although the new regulation may cause some initial inconvenience for users in Indonesia, the government believes it is the most appropriate action amid a digital emergency.
“We are taking this step to reclaim the sovereignty of our children’s future. We want technology to humanise humans, not sacrifice our children’s childhood,” she added.
Several countries are introducing or considering bans or strict limits on children using social media, mainly because of concerns about mental health, cyberbullying, online addiction, and exposure to harmful content. Australia has banned social media for children under 16. The law blocks minors from platforms such as TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube.
France, Denmark, Greece and Spain are making similar moves and pushing for a ban at the European Union level.
