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| Photograph Credit score: Reuters
Indonesia will limit entry to social media platforms for youngsters below 16 years, its Communications and Digital Ministry stated on Friday (March 5, 2026), making it the most recent nation to put in on-line guardrails to scale back the dangers of habit and cyberbullying.
A quantity of governments have imposed curbs on social media for youngsters amid mounting issues over the influence that social media is having on the security and psychological well being of minors.
Australia launched a ban on social media for under-16s in December, and Spain additionally stated final month that it might ban entry to social media for minors below 16.
Indonesia’s neighbour Malaysia introduced in November that it might additionally ban social media for customers below the age of 16 ranging from 2026.
Meutya Hafid, Indonesia’s Communications and Digital Minister, stated in a video assertion that the federal government will “delay entry” to social media accounts for youngsters below 16 by way of a Ministerial regulation issued on Friday (March 6, 2026).
Beginning March 28, accounts owned by kids below 16 on “excessive threat platforms” might be steadily deactivated, Meutya stated, including the platforms embrace TikTok, Fb, Instagram, and Roblox.
“The course of might be accomplished steadily till all platforms carry out their obligations,” she stated, with out elaborating on what they must do to satisfy the brand new necessities.
“We realise this may increasingly trigger discomfort to start with. Kids might complain and mother and father could also be confused coping with their complaints.”
“Our youngsters are going through dangers, from porn, cyberbullying, on-line fraud to most significantly, habit,” she stated, including Indonesia would be the first non-Western nation to impose such restrictions.
TikTok, Meta, which owns Fb and Instagram, and Roblox didn’t instantly reply to a request for remark.
The particulars of the brand new regulation have but to be revealed. Ministry officers did not instantly reply to a request for remark.
Web penetration in Indonesia, a rustic of about 280 million folks, reached 79.5% in 2024, in accordance with a survey of 8,700 folks by the Indonesia web service suppliers’ affiliation.
The survey confirmed 48% of youngsters below 12 had entry to the web, with some respondents of that age group utilizing Fb, Instagram, and TikTok. The survey confirmed web penetration stood at 87% amongst “Gen Z” customers aged 12 to 27.
Revealed – March 06, 2026 03:49 pm IST