Amnesty International Criticises Government Ban on Social Media Access for Children Under 16
The Executive Director of Amnesty International Indonesia, Usman Hamid, has expressed concerns that the government’s plan to ban social media access for children under 16 years of age risks depriving tens of millions of young Indonesians of important channels for communication, information access, creative development, and self-expression.
“This blanket ban on social media will strip tens of millions of young people in Indonesia of important channels to communicate with one another, access information, develop creativity, and express themselves,” Usman said in an official statement on Monday, 9 March 2026.
The government previously announced the policy restricting social media access for children under 16. The regulation, announced by the Ministry of Communication and Digital Affairs, will take effect on 28 March 2026. All social media accounts belonging to children under this age will be deactivated, including accounts on platforms such as YouTube, TikTok, Facebook, Instagram, Threads, X, Bigo Live, and Roblox.
Usman noted that social media has served as an important space for children and teenagers to voice their opinions. He cited examples of students actively engaging in online discussions to highlight public policy issues, including government programmes such as the Free Nutritious Meal Programme.
With the implementation of this blanket ban, Usman argued, children will face greater difficulty in conveying their views on policies that directly affect their lives.
Usman contended that the government’s reasoning that children are vulnerable to dangers on social media is insufficient to justify a complete ban. According to him, this approach oversimplifies the complex issues in digital spaces. “By implementing this ban, the government is taking the wrong step and oversimplifying the problem,” he said.
He also warned that the policy risks encouraging children to access social media surreptitiously without adequate protections. Today’s youth generation grows up within a digital ecosystem that is difficult to separate from daily life. “Certainly, many of them will find ways to circumvent this ban,” Usman noted.
According to Usman, a more appropriate solution would be to strengthen human rights protections in digital spaces rather than imposing a blanket ban. The government, he said, could tighten digital platform regulation through due diligence, oversight of addictive design features, and implementation of robust data protection laws. “Not a blanket ban that fails to address the root causes of online harms,” he concluded.
Usman also argued that the policy disregards children’s right to be heard in every decision affecting their lives, including in digital access governance. Digital access has become an important part of children’s education, wellbeing, and participation in public spaces. “This ban also means we are squandering the opportunity to build solutions that genuinely empower children to navigate the digital world safely,” he said.
Earlier, Communication and Digital Affairs Minister Meutya Hafid described the policy as the government’s “best approach” to respond to what she termed a digital emergency. The government maintains that the restriction is necessary to protect children from risks including online pornography, cyberbullying, digital fraud, and internet addiction.