Indonesia plans to limit the access of children under the age of 16 to social media

Indonesia will soon become the latest country to introduce laws banning children from using social media, following in the footsteps of Australia and neighboring Malaysia.

But unlike Australia, which has prohibited users under 16 from social media together, Indonesia is taking a more age-gated approach to its restrictions.

Digital communication service in Indonesia he said Friday to slow down children’s access to social media: Children 13 and older will be able to use platforms the country deems “high risk,” while “high risk” platforms will be open only to users 16 and older.

Platforms that are seen as “high risk” include YouTube, TikTok, Facebook, Instagram, Threads, X, Bigo Live and Roblox, the country’s Minister of Communications and Digital Affairs, Meutya Hafid, he said in a video posted to Instagram.

This is expected to be implemented one year after signing into law on March 28, 2026.

Indonesia it is not the only country age restrictions for social media use. In the past few months, several countries have announced plans to ban the use of television by children and teenagers, including Denmark, Spain, France, Malaysia and the UK.

Indonesia maintains the goal is not to prevent children from using the Internet, but to ensure that they use it carefully and at an appropriate age.

“The law does not penalize children or parents. Instead, sanctions target digital platforms that fail to meet their child protection obligations,” Hafid said. The law is designed to prevent threats “ranging from pornographic and social media to child abuse and addiction to digital platforms.”

Almost 299 million Indonesians are connected to the Internet, and about 80% of its children use online platforms, the ministry said.

The government, citing UNICEF statistics, said that almost half of Indonesian children had experienced sex on social media, and 42% admitted that it made them feel scared or uncomfortable.

The announcement comes a day after Indonesia gave a warning to Meta for not banning online gambling and spreading fake news on its platforms.