Eight apps that will block child accounts from March 28, including YouTube and Roblox

KOMPAS.com - The government through the Ministry of Communications and Digital Affairs (Komdigi) issued new rules requiring the deactivation of accounts belonging to children under the age of 16 on several popular digital platforms. The policy is contained in Ministerial Regulation Number 9 of 2026, published in Jakarta on Friday (6/3/2026). The regulation is a technical derivative of Government Regulation Number 17 of 2025 on the Governance of Electronic System Administration in Child Protection or PP Tunas. Through the regulation, the government targets eight major digital platforms deemed high-risk for children. The eight platforms are asked to block or deactivate accounts of users who do not meet the age limit specified by the government. Minister of Communications and Digital Meutya Hafid said at an initial stage the government will focus oversight on social media services and digital networks that have the potential to pose high risks to children. “This process will be carried out gradually until all platforms comply with their compliance obligations,” Meutya said in a statement. According to Meutya, the decision to target the eight popular apps was taken because Indonesian children are perceived to be facing an emergency in the digital space. The threats faced by children include exposure to pornographic content, cyberbullying, online scams, and the risk of addiction to digital platforms. She emphasised that the issuance of this regulation is a concrete government step to help families protect children when using the internet. “The government is here so that parents no longer have to fight the giants of algorithms alone,” Meutya asserted. However, Komdigi recognises that implementing this rule may cause discomfort in the initial phase. Closing access to entertainment platforms such as TikTok or Roblox is expected to trigger complaints from children who lose their accounts, while some parents may have to face protests from their children. Nevertheless, Meutya regards the policy as a necessary step to protect the younger generation. “We take this step to reclaim the sovereignty of our children’s future. We want technology to humanise people, not to sacrifice our children’s childhood,” she concluded.