Indonesia to ban under-16s from ‘high-risk’ social media platforms

Minister Meutya Hafid said the restrictions would protect children from online harms, but experts warned enforcement might prove difficult

Communications and Digital Affairs Minister Meutya Hafid announced the measure on Friday, saying the government had signed a regulation that would gradually stop children under 16 from holding accounts on platforms deemed “high risk”.

Hafid said the rule would apply to platforms such as YouTube, TikTok, Facebook, Instagram, Threads, X, Bigo Live and Roblox. However, the ministry has not yet publicly set out the full compliance mechanics.

“The basis is clear. Our children face increasingly real threats. From exposure to pornography, cyberbullying, online fraud and, most importantly, addiction,” Hafid said in a media statement announcing the policy.

She added that “the government is here so that parents no longer have to fight alone against the giant of algorithms”.

The move builds on a broader child online safety framework launched by President Prabowo Subianto last year aimed at strengthening protections for minors in the digital sphere.

Source: News - South China Morning Post