Indonesia will ban children under 16 from having social media accounts, Communication and Digital Affairs Minister Meutya Hafid said Friday, as Jakarta prepares for a phased enforcement of a new regulation. Hafid said she had signed the government regulation that bars children below 16 from opening accounts on “high-risk digital platforms,” including services such as YouTube, TikTok, Facebook, Instagram, Threads, X, Bigo Live and Roblox.
Hafid said the rollout would begin gradually on March 28, with platforms required to meet their compliance obligations over time until the restrictions are applied across services. In a statement to media, she framed the step as a response to what the government calls escalating threats to children online, citing risks ranging from pornography and cyberbullying to online fraud and addiction.
“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 alone against the giant of algorithms,” Hafid said.
In her remarks, Hafid also acknowledged that the policy may be disruptive at first, saying children could complain and that parents might need guidance on how to respond. “We realize that the implementation of this regulation 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.
Residents and parents in Jakarta welcomed the restrictions, particularly because children commonly access social media through mobile phones. Marianah, 43, who uses a single name, said the concern for minors is “very worrying,” adding that while some content can be educational, other material can mislead children and that adults need to “sort through social media again.” Another resident, Harianto, 49, said parents hope authorities will also block other harmful sites, including pornography and online gambling, arguing that the government should be “fair” to protect children’s development.
The minister’s comments came after Indonesia’s Communication and Digital Affairs Ministry conducted a surprise inspection of Meta Platforms’ Jakarta office earlier this week, the ministry said in a statement. The ministry said the inspection followed concerns about how Meta handles harmful content on its platforms, including Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp, and that the minister issued a stern warning to Meta over what it described as low compliance with national regulations.
The Associated Press said it had sent email requests for comment to TikTok and Meta but had not received responses by publication. Hafid also said the government is taking the step as part of what she called a digital emergency, describing it as an attempt to “reclaim sovereignty over children’s futures.”
Indonesia’s decision also positions it as the first country in Southeast Asia to restrict minors’ access to social media. The restriction of social media access for teens began in Australia in December 2025, when platforms revoked access to about 4.7 million accounts identified as belonging to children in Australia, and other countries—including Spain, France and the UK—are taking or considering measures to limit minors’ access amid growing concern about potential harm from unregulated online content.