70 Million Indonesians Banned from Using Social Media: How to Safely Use TikTok
Jakarta, CNBC Indonesia - The government is tightening social media usage for children, particularly those aged 16 and under. This policy is outlined in Ministerial Regulation of Communication and Digital Affairs (Komdigi) Number 9 of 2026, a derivative of Government Regulation Number 17 of 2025 or PP Tunas, and takes effect on 28 March 2026.
Komdigi Minister Meutya Hafid previously stated that there are 70 million Indonesians in the under-16 age category. Starting 28 March 2026, the government requests that children aged 16 be restricted from accessing social media.
In line with this policy direction, TikTok has actually implemented an age-based restriction system, particularly for teenage users. The short-video platform stipulates that users must be at least 13 years old to have an account, but several key features are gradually unlocked, including at age 16.
For users aged 16 to 17, TikTok automatically sets the account to private upon first registration. This means only approved users can follow and view uploaded content, including profile information such as bio, follower lists, and shared videos. However, this setting can still be changed to public by the user, which immediately opens broader access to their content.
If the account is changed to public, there are consequences. Uploaded content can be viewed by anyone, even users outside the platform. Videos may also spread to search engines, other social media, and news sites. Additionally, other users can download, share, or reuse the videos, depending on the chosen privacy settings.
Nevertheless, TikTok still limits interactions for 16-year-old users. The direct messaging feature, for example, is not fully open to the public. Messages can only be received from friends or as message requests from other users.
Similarly, the Duet and Stitch features are by default only usable by Friends (mutual followers) rather than everyone for public accounts. For private accounts, no one can create a Duet with the videos, and this cannot be changed.
Comment settings can also be controlled, from limiting to friends only to disabling them entirely.
Parental Control
The role of parents is crucial. TikTok provides a family engagement feature or Family Pairing that allows parents to monitor their child’s activity while scrolling on TikTok.
This feature enables the parent’s account to be directly linked to the child’s account. Through it, parents can manage almost all aspects of usage, from screen time duration to interactions within the platform.
TikTok sets a default daily screen time limit of one hour for users aged 13 to 17. Parents can adjust this duration and apply it consistently across all of the child’s devices. When time is up, access is locked and can only be unlocked again with a password held by the parent.
Additionally, there is a dedicated dashboard providing a summary of the child’s activity, including total daily usage time over the past four weeks and the frequency of app openings.
Parents can also schedule downtime periods when TikTok is completely inaccessible. Under certain conditions, children can request additional usage time.
Another important control is muting notifications. For ages 16 to 17, notifications are automatically turned off from 10:00 PM to 08:00 AM. Parents can add other restriction times as needed.
On the content side, there is a keyword filter feature to screen certain content, as well as Restricted Mode to reduce exposure to inappropriate material.
Here is how to set up Family Pairing
To link a parent’s and teenager’s accounts:
Open the TikTok app, tap Profile at the bottom.
Tap the Menu button ☰ at the top, then select Settings and privacy.
Tap Family Engagement.
Tap Continue.
Tap Parent or Teen, then tap Next.
Follow the steps to link the accounts.
How to manage Family Pairing settings
To manage Family Pairing settings:
In the TikTok app, tap Profile at the bottom.
Tap the Menu button ☰ at the top, then select Settings and privacy.
Tap Family Engagement.
Select the account you want to manage, then update the settings as needed.