Indonesia outlines plan to limit under-16s’ access to social media

Indonesia volition soon go the latest state to walk laws restricting children from accessing societal media, pursuing successful the footsteps of Australia and its neighbour Malaysia.

But dissimilar Australia, which has banned users nether 16 from societal media altogether, Indonesia is taking a much age-gated attack to its restrictions.

Indonesia’s connection and integer ministry said connected Friday that it would hold children’s entree to societal media platforms: Children 13 oregon older volition beryllium capable to usage platforms the state deems “lower-risk,” portion “higher-risk” platforms volition beryllium lone unfastened to users supra 16 years old.

Platforms deemed “higher-risk” see YouTube, TikTok, Facebook, Instagram, Threads, X, Bigo Live and Roblox, the country’s Minister of Communication and Digital Affairs, Meutya Hafid, said successful a video posted to Instagram.

The measures are expected to beryllium enforced 1 twelvemonth aft they’re signed into regularisation connected March 28, 2026.

Indonesia is not the lone country passing property restrictions for societal media use. Over the past fewer months, respective countries person announced plans to restrict societal media entree for children and teens, including Denmark, Spain, France, Malaysia and the U.K.

Indonesia maintains the extremity is not to halt children from utilizing the internet, but to marque definite they usage it safely and astatine the close age.

“This regularisation does not enforce sanctions connected children oregon parents. Instead, sanctions people integer platforms that neglect to conscionable their kid extortion obligations,” Hafid said. The regularisation is meant to forestall risks “ranging from vulnerability to harmful contented and interactions with chartless individuals to kid exploitation and addiction to integer platforms.”

Approximately 299 cardinal Indonesians are connected to the internet, and astir 80% of its children actively usage online platforms, the ministry said.

The government, referencing UNICEF figures, said astir fractional of Indonesia’s children person encountered intersexual contented connected societal media platforms, and 42% person admitted the acquisition made them consciousness frightened oregon uncomfortable.

The announcement comes a time aft Indonesia issued a informing to Meta for ​not curbing online ‌gambling and disinformation connected its platforms.