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Indonesia has announced a nationwide restriction that will prevent children under the age of 16 from opening accounts on major social media platforms, a measure the government says is aimed at protecting minors from growing risks in the digital space.
The policy, unveiled Friday by Communications Minister Meutya Hafid, is set to take effect on March 28 and will gradually limit access to several widely used platforms. Under the new rules, children younger than 16 will no longer be allowed to create accounts on what the government defines as “high-risk digital platforms.”
According to Hafid, the decision was taken with the long-term well-being of Indonesian children in mind. Announcing the policy on the U.S.-based social media platform X, she said the government could not remain passive while children faced increasing exposure to harmful online environments.
“Children under 16 years old can no longer have accounts on high-risk digital platforms,” she said, stressing that the move was being implemented “for the future of Indonesian children.”
The minister acknowledged that the measure might cause discomfort at first but emphasized that authorities believe action is necessary to safeguard younger users. She also noted that the responsibility for protecting children online should not fall solely on parents, adding that digital platforms themselves must play a role in maintaining safer environments.
Implementation will begin with a group of widely used platforms that authorities consider particularly influential among young users. These include YouTube, TikTok, Facebook, Instagram, Threads, X, Bigo Live and Roblox.
Officials say the gradual rollout is designed to manage the transition while addressing what the government describes as serious risks associated with online platforms. Among the concerns cited are exposure to pornography, cyberbullying, online scams and patterns of digital addiction.
Hafid underlined the broader principle guiding the policy, stating that technological progress should ultimately serve human well-being rather than undermine childhood development.
“Technology must humanize humanity, not sacrifice our children's childhood,” she said.
With the announcement, Indonesia becomes the second country to introduce restrictions specifically aimed at limiting children’s access to social media platforms.
Australia passed a similar law in December that was widely described as the first of its kind globally.
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