Indonesia will ban social media for children under 16, its Minister of Communication and Digital Affairs said on Friday.
Meutya Hafid said in a statement to the media that he signed a government regulation that will mean children under 16 will no longer be able to have accounts on high-risk digital platforms, including YouTube, TikTok, Facebook, Instagram, Threads, X, Roblox and Bigo Live, a popular live streaming site. With a population of around 285 million, the fourth highest in the world, the Southeast Asian nation represents a major market for social media.
The rollout will begin gradually from March 28, until all platforms meet their compliance obligations.
“The basis is clear. Our children face increasingly real threats. From exposure to pornography, cyberbullying, online fraud and, most importantly, addiction. The government is here so that parents no longer have to fight the algorithm giant alone,” Hafid said.
He added that the government is taking this step as the best effort in the midst of a digital emergency to reclaim sovereignty over the future of children.
“We are aware that the implementation of this rule may cause some discomfort at first. Children may complain and parents may be confused about how to respond to their children’s complaints,” Hafid said.
Some Jakarta residents and parents welcomed the government’s restrictions on access to social media, especially as children can gain unsupervised access to social media via mobile phones.
“I think it’s been very worrying for minors, especially boys. Because they have too much freedom with photos, videos and everything. Some of it is educational, but some of it is misleading. So we really need to look at social media again,” said Marianah, 43, who, like many Indonesians, uses one name.
Others suggested that the government should also block other harmful websites, such as pornography and online gambling sites.
“As parents, we hope that pornography and online gambling websites can also be removed. So in a sense, the government must also be fair. This is for the good of the people themselves, for the children and their growth and development,” said Harianto, 49, a resident of Jakarta.
Earlier this week, Indonesia’s Ministry of Communications and Digital Affairs carried out a surprise inspection of Meta Platforms’ office in Jakarta over concerns about its handling of harmful content on its platforms, including Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp.
The ministry noted in a statement that through this inspection, the Minister of Communications and Information Technology issued a stern warning about the low level of compliance with national regulations by Meta. TikTok and Meta did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Indonesia will be the first country in Southeast Asia to restrict children’s access to social media.
Restricting teens’ access to social media began in Australia in December 2025. Social media companies have revoked access to around 4.7 million accounts identified as belonging to children in the country.
Other countries, including Spain, France and the United Kingdom, are also taking or considering measures to restrict minors’ access to social media amid growing concerns that children are being harmed by exposure to unregulated social media content.
