Indonesia has announced a ban on the use of social media for children under the age of 16 in an effort to protect minors from online risks.
According to government officials, the decision aims to shield children from threats such as online abuse, inappropriate content, digital fraud and addiction to social media while ensuring a safer digital environment for young users.
On March 6, Indonesia’s Minister for Digital Affairs Meutya Hafid announced the implementation of the new policy, stating that the restriction will come into effect from March 28 and underage social media accounts will be gradually deactivated.
Under the decision, accounts belonging to users under 16 will begin to be deactivated on platforms including X, YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, Threads and other services considered high risk platforms.
The government has not yet released detailed guidelines explaining how the policy will be implemented, but officials said more details will be announced soon.
It is worth noting that Australia previously became the first country in the world to impose a similar restriction in late 2025, while several other countries are also considering measures to regulate or limit children’s access to social media.
