America Follows Indonesia's Rules, the Whole World Changes Completely
What the Indonesian government formulated to protect children from the dangers of social media has now become a global reference. The child protection policy known as PP Tunas has not only changed domestic rules but is now being followed by dozens of countries from Asia to Europe. Even the United States has begun moving in the same direction, recognising that the step taken by Indonesia is the right answer for protecting future generations.
Minister of Communication and Digital Meutya Hafid has said that around 19 countries are currently monitoring the implementation of the rules in Indonesia before applying similar policies in their respective regions. This means that what Indonesia has established to protect children is no longer merely a domestic regulation.
The rule has become a global benchmark, proving that Indonesia is capable of being a pioneer in protecting children in a borderless digital space. Compliance by digital platforms with this rule has an impact not only on children in Indonesia but also on millions of children in other parts of the world.
Clear evidence of major change in the United States emerged at the end of August 2026. Technology giant Meta, the owner of Facebook and Instagram, finally gave in and agreed to a fine of US$16.7 billion, or around Rp 296 trillion, to settle lawsuits from 29 US states.
Meta was accused of deliberately designing features that made children addicted and then covering up the harmful effects on adolescent mental health, including the risk of depression, body image disorders, and suicidal thoughts.
As part of the settlement, Meta is required to make major changes that are exactly in line with the direction of Indonesia’s policy. Among the obligations that must be fulfilled are daily usage limits for teenagers, blocking access at night so that children do not open applications late at night, stricter age verification to prevent underage access, and parental supervision tools to monitor and limit children’s usage.
The settlement also states that Meta will only pay part of the fine if other platforms such as YouTube and TikTok implement the same restrictions. This shows that the standards championed by Indonesia are now beginning to be recognised as standards that should apply globally.
What happened in the United States provides additional confirmation of the direction of Indonesia’s policy. The Indonesian government has continued to urge major platforms such as YouTube and TikTok to comply with child protection rules, and now courts in the United States have established the same thing. This means that what Indonesia has fought for is also being fought for by courts in even the most advanced country.
The difference is that the US government has so far not taken firm steps to stem the negative influence of social media platforms. Lawmakers have not succeeded in passing legislation to limit the age of social media users, so the issue was ultimately taken to court.
Australia has already implemented age limits and child protection rules on social media platforms, becoming one of the first countries to move in the same direction as Indonesia. Singapore is preparing similar regulations with a phased approach and is still monitoring the results of implementation in Indonesia before establishing permanent rules. Malaysia has announced plans to restrict social media access for children under 16, following the pattern applied in Indonesia. French President Emmanuel Macron has officially expressed support and consideration for implementing similar child protection rules across the region. The European Union as a whole is considering implementing a similar child protection framework across all member states, following input from France and other countries. Greece is the latest country to state that it will set a minimum age for accessing social media, following the direction of Indonesia’s policy. Through the Rp 296 trillion fine settlement against Meta, US courts have effectively established daily usage limits, night-time blocks, and age verification that are exactly the same as Indonesia’s policy.
Restrictions on children’s access to applications on mobile phones and social media are regulated in Government Regulation No. 17/2025 on Electronic System Governance in Child Protection, known as PP Tunas. The regulation also sets out the idea of classifying digital platforms based on risk and user age levels.
Digital platforms cannot be treated uniformly. Therefore, the government will classify access based on platform risk categories, namely low, medium, and high, explained Minister Meutya Hafid.
High-risk platforms, such as those containing pornography, violence, or those prone to bullying, will be subject to strict age restrictions. Under PP Tunas, children under 13 may only access platforms that are completely safe, such as educational sites or children’s platforms. Those aged 13 to 15 are allowed to access low- to medium-risk platforms. Those aged 16 to 17 may access high-risk platforms but must do so with parental supervision. Those aged 18 and above are allowed independent access to all platform categories.
However, PP Tunas does not explicitly state which applications fall into the low, medium, or high-risk categories. Platforms such as X, Instagram, or YouTube must conduct their own evaluations and report their categories to the Ministry of Communication and Digital.