Komdigi Bans Under-16s From Having Social Media Accounts

The Ministry of Communications and Digital Economy (Komdigi) has announced a ban on children under the age of 16 from owning accounts on a number of social media and digital platforms, including YouTube, TikTok, Facebook, Instagram, Threads, X, Bigo Live and Roblox. Minister Meutya Hafid said the policy follows the issuance of derivative rules from Government Regulation No. 17 of 2025 on the Governance of Electronic System Providers in Child Protection (PP Tunas). The regulation is presented as a measure to strengthen child protection in the digital space. ‘Through this regulation, the government will delay access by children under 16 to high-risk digital platforms, including social media and networking services,’ Meutya said in the Komdigi official statement on Friday, 6 March 2026. The deputy chairperson of the Golkar Party claimed the policy makes Indonesia one of the first non-Western countries to impose age-based restrictions on access to digital platforms, arguing that the policy protects children from digital threats. ‘Children face increasingly real threats, from pornography exposure, cyberbullying, online scams, to addiction,’ she said. Meutya said the policy would start on 28 March 2026. In the initial phase, accounts held by children under 16 on digital platforms would be deactivated gradually. The platforms include YouTube, TikTok, Facebook, Instagram, Threads, X, Bigo Live and Roblox. Meutya noted that the deactivation would be conducted gradually until all platforms complied with the obligations in the regulation. She acknowledged that the policy would cause inconvenience to children and parents, but believed it was a crucial step amid the digital emergency.