Indonesia has unveiled new restrictions on the access of social media for kids under the age of 16, making it the latest country to announce restrictions for ensuring online safety for young people.
The country’s Communications and Digital Ministry said in a statement on Friday that the policy is aimed at minimising issues like cyber-bullying, exposure to harmful content and growing worries about social media addiction among minors.
Around the globe, governments have also begun increasingly regulating children’s access to social media because of growing concerns about the impact of social media on their ability to stay safe and healthy.
Australia recently imposed a ban on the use of social media for children under the age of 16 in December.
Spain also announced last month that it was going to restrict access to social media for minors.
Indonesia’s neighbour Malaysia has also stated that it will implement a ban on social media for users under the age of 16 from 2026.
Indonesia’s Communications and Digital Minister Meutya Hafid said in a video statement that the government will “delay access” to social media accounts held by children under the age of 16 with a ministerial regulation that was issued on Friday.
According to her, accounts belonging to children on what the government calls “high risk platforms” will be deactivated on the basis of a gradual process from March 28.
The selection of platforms impacted by the new policy are TikTok, Facebook, Instagram and Roblox.
Hafid said the process would be conducted in phases until all of the platforms met government’s obligations, though she did not say what exactly the companies will need to do.
Indonesia is a country of approximately 280 million people, where internet growth is at a rapid pace.
A survey of Indonesia in 2024 showed that penetration of the internet is at 79.5 percent in the country.
