Komdigi restricts social media access for children under 16: why?

The government, through the Ministry of Communications and Digital (Komdigi), will restrict access to social media for children under 16 from 28 March 2026. This regulatory measure is part of the government’s effort to maximise safety for children when online. The rule is embodied in Ministerial Regulation No. 9 of 2026, which is a derivative of Government Regulation (PP) No. 17 of 2025 on the Governance of Electronic System Management in Child Protection, or known as PP Tunas. ‘Through this regulation, the government delays access of accounts for children under 16 on high-risk digital platforms, including social media and networking services,’ said Minister of Communications and Digital Meutya Hafid, quoted from the Instagram account @djed.komdigi, Sunday (8/3/2026). With the implementation of this measure, Indonesia is noted as a pioneer outside Western countries in imposing access restrictions for children on high-risk digital platforms based on age category. The country views that the younger generation today faces a range of threats that are increasingly complex in the digital ecosystem. The potential exposure to negative content up to the threat of gadget addiction has become the main focus and concern. Meutya stressed that children are highly vulnerable to dangers such as pornography, cyberbullying, and online scam traps if they browse social media without proper supervision. ‘The government is here so that parents no longer have to fight the giants of the algorithms alone,’ he said. In addition, dependence on social networks is increasingly a problem among children and adolescents. This situation is believed to have adverse effects on mental development, social abilities, and even their physical condition. From this, the government believes it is necessary to formulate stricter regulations to control children’s access to various digital platforms that carry a high level of risk.