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Indonesia will soon become the latest country to pass laws restricting children from accessing social media, following in the footsteps of Australia and its neighbor Malaysia. <\/p>\n
But unlike Australia, which has banned<\/a> users under 16 from social media altogether, Indonesia is taking a more age-gated approach to its restrictions.<\/p>\n Indonesia\u2019s communication and digital ministry said<\/a> on Friday that it would delay children\u2019s access to social media platforms: Children 13 or older will be able to use platforms the country deems \u201clower-risk,\u201d while \u201chigher-risk\u201d platforms will be only open to users above 16 years old.<\/p>\n Platforms deemed \u201chigher-risk\u201d include YouTube, TikTok, Facebook, Instagram, Threads, X, Bigo Live, and Roblox, the country\u2019s Minister of Communication and Digital Affairs Meutya Hafid said<\/a> in a video posted to Instagram.<\/p>\n The measures are expected to be enforced one year after they\u2019re signed into regulation on March 28, 2026.<\/p>\n Indonesia is not the only country<\/a> passing age restrictions for social media use. Over the past few months, several countries have announced plans to restrict social media access for children and teens, including Denmark, Spain, France, Malaysia, and the U.K.<\/p>\n Indonesia maintains the goal is not to stop children from using the internet, but to make sure they use it safely and at the right age. <\/p>\n Techcrunch event<\/p>\n \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tSan Francisco, CA<\/span> \u201cThis regulation does not impose sanctions on children or parents. Instead, sanctions target digital platforms that fail to meet their child protection obligations,\u201d Hafid said. The rule is meant to prevent risks \u201cranging from exposure to harmful content and interactions with unknown individuals to child exploitation and addiction to digital platforms.\u201d <\/p>\n Approximately 299 million Indonesians<\/a> are connected to the internet, and nearly 80% of its children actively use online platforms, the ministry said.<\/p>\n The government, referencing UNICEF figures, said around half of Indonesia\u2019s children have encountered sexual content on social media platforms, and 42% have admitted the experience made them feel frightened or uncomfortable.<\/p>\n The announcement comes a day after Indonesia issued a warning to Meta<\/a> for ?not curbing online ?gambling and disinformation on its platforms.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tOctober 13-15, 2026<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n