Government Officially Locks Social Media Access for Children Under 16 Starting Today
The government has officially restricted social media access for children under the age of 16 starting 28 March 2026. All digital platforms without exception are required to comply, in line with the implementation of the Government Regulation on the Governance of Electronic Systems in Child Protection, or PP Tunas.
Minister of Communication and Digital Affairs (Menkomdigi) Meutya Hafid stressed that there is no room for negotiation for platforms violating the provisions.
“There is no compromise on compliance. Every digital platform operating in Indonesia must adhere to the applicable regulations,” Meutya stated during a press conference on Friday evening (27/3/2026).
This regulation is a mandate of digital sovereignty that has been prepared since a year ago. The government provided a one-year transition period for Electronic System Organisers (PSE) to adjust their systems and policies.
Starting today, implementation will be carried out gradually by measuring the compliance level of each platform.
“Indonesia will implement PP Tunas starting 28 March 2026. The government has given a full one-year transition period since 28 March 2025 for electronic system organisers to make improvements,” Meutya explained.
“Children in Indonesia have the same value as children in any other country. Therefore, the principle of protection must apply universally without discrimination,” she emphasised.
Two Cooperative Platforms
Ahead of the regulation’s enforcement, the Ministry of Communication and Digital Affairs (Komdigi) requested several digital platforms to submit commitments and action plans for compliance.
Evaluation results up to Friday at 21:30 WIB showed varying levels of compliance. The two platforms deemed most cooperative are X and Bigo Live.
Platform X has raised the minimum user age to 16 years since 17 March 2026 and incorporated this policy into its user guidelines and community rules.
“Platform X has also committed to identifying and deactivating accounts of users under that age starting tomorrow,” she said.
Meanwhile, Bigo Live has raised the user age limit to 18 years in its user agreement and privacy policy. The platform has also submitted changes to the app’s age classification in app stores from 13 years to 18+.
In addition, Bigo Live will implement a multi-layered moderation system using artificial intelligence and manual verification to monitor user accounts suspected to be under the permitted age.
Partial Compliance
Meutya mentioned that two other platforms, namely Roblox and TikTok, have only shown partial compliance.
Roblox is preparing adjustments to features for users under 13 years old by limiting offline gaming activities.
Meanwhile, TikTok has committed to gradually deactivating accounts of users under 16 years old. The platform is also scheduled to announce an operational roadmap for users aged 14 to 15 years.
Nevertheless, the government emphasised that all digital platforms must adhere to the regulation.
“There is no compromise on compliance. Every business entity operating in Indonesia must comply with the laws applicable in Indonesia,” Meutya stressed.