Government Delays Social Media Access for Children Under 16 Years Old, Here's Why
Jakarta — In an effort to protect children from digital space threats such as device addiction and exposure to harmful content, the Indonesian government has delayed the provision of social media access for those under 16 years of age.
The Minister of Communications and Digital Affairs (Menkomdigi) Meutya Hafid emphasised that this regulation is not intended to distance children from technological advancement. Rather, the government seeks to ensure children’s mental and psychological readiness before they fully enter the complex world of social media.
She continued that the age limit decision is not a unilateral step taken by the government abruptly. The policy emerged from a series of in-depth discussions involving experts, including psychologists and child development advocates. “And various research regarding the impact of social media on child development,” said Meutya.
It is worth noting that the Ministry of Communications and Digital Affairs has formally prohibited children under 16 years of age from accessing several applications deemed to carry high risk, based on Ministry Regulation (Permen) of the Ministry of Communications and Digital Affairs Number 9 of 2026.
The regulation is a derivative step from Government Regulation Number 17 of 2025 regarding the Governance of Electronic System Operations in Child Protection, also referred to as PP Tunas.
The process of blocking accounts for underage users is scheduled to take effect beginning 28 March 2026.
Meutya stated that the real threats facing young age groups are quite diverse, ranging from digital addiction, exposure to negative content, cyberbullying, to online fraud that frequently targets young social media users. “The government is present so that parents no longer have to fight alone against the power of algorithms,” she explained.
Meutya also observed that the rapid advancement of artificial intelligence (AI) technology is making the digital landscape increasingly risky.