Government Regulation: Social Media Policy to Protect Digital Generation

The Ministry of Communication and Digital has announced that beginning 28 March 2026, social media accounts belonging to users under 16 years old will be progressively deactivated. Through this regulation, the government is restricting access for children under 16 to a number of high-risk digital platforms.

The emergence of this regulation has also been driven by the rapid explosion of internet users within the country. The number of internet users in the nation has reached approximately 221 million people, equivalent to 79.5 per cent of the total national population. This figure places Indonesia as one of the countries with the largest number of internet users in the world.

Some observers view this as a firm step by the state to protect children from exposure to harmful content, cyberbullying, online sexual exploitation, psychological manipulation practices such as child grooming, and device addiction.

The government’s regulatory step to limit risks in the digital space is therefore part of efforts to protect the best interests of children.