England to Follow Indonesia's Rules, Citizens Reject Outright

England is planning to follow Indonesia and several other countries in restricting social media use for minors. However, the plan appears unlikely to materialise as considerable public opposition has emerged.

In developing rules similar to Indonesia’s PP TUNAS and Permen Komdigi No 9, the British government has requested public input through consultation. This process will close in May.

According to Reuters reporting, many young people reject the proposal. They acknowledge the dangers of social media but highlight the positive impacts each platform offers.

One example is Elizabeth Alayande (17), who stated that social media can help build confidence and identity. This includes the ability to express oneself by uploading video content or simply interacting with others.

“And I don’t think it’s the biggest waste of time if you balance it fairly with other priorities,” she explained, as quoted by Reuters on Tuesday (17 March 2026).

Meanwhile, some teenagers also said the ban would be difficult to enforce. Teenagers would try alternatives, which could be even more dangerous.

“If children are banned, they will go to the dark web or use VPNs,” said Leah Osando (16).

Similarly, security features implemented across various platforms are easily circumvented. Many teenagers interviewed by Reuters revealed they could bypass these controls.

For context, Snapchat has special protections for 13-17 year-olds, including making accounts private by default and preventing access to public profiles.

Instagram offers parental monitoring tools and guardianship features. Meanwhile, teenage accounts use sensitive content settings.

On TikTok, teenage accounts have an automatic 60-minute screen time limit. Users are also asked to turn off their devices after 10 pm. TikTok also restricts content based on age that may not be suitable for teenagers.

Several experts have also questioned the regulation. For example, how to enforce rules for 14-15 year-olds who have grown up with social media, and the government risks taking the wrong approach.

“Politicians must demand safety from the design stage, without removing access to the digital world that is their desire and right,” said Sonia Livingstone, head of the Digital Futures for Children centre at the London School of Economics.