Komdigi to Block Social Media Accounts of Under-16s: Here Is the Targeted Applications List

The Ministry of Communications and Digital Affairs (Komdigi) of the Republic of Indonesia has officially issued technical rules on delaying access to social media and digital platforms for children under the age of 16 in Jakarta on Friday 6 March 2026. The access-blocking rules for children are set out in Ministerial Regulation (Permen) Komdigi No. 9 of 2026. This regulation is a direct derivative of Government Regulation No. 17 of 2025 concerning the Governance of Electronic System Providers in the Protection of Children (PP Tunas). The Minister of Communications and Digital (Menkomdigi) Meutya Hafid stressed that the issuance of these rules represents a concrete step by the state to ensure a safe digital space for children. In the initial phase, the government is targeting eight major social media and networking services. The list is as follows: The process will be carried out gradually until all platforms fulfil their compliance obligations, Meutya said in an official statement. Indonesia’s government is taking this drastic step not without justification. Meutya disclosed that Indonesian children are currently surrounded by increasingly real threats online. These threats include exposure to pornographic content, cyberbullying, online scams, and most notably addiction. The government is here so that parents no longer have to fight the giants of the algorithms alone, Meutya asserted. The government does not deny that implementing these restrictions could cause discomfort in the early stages of the transition. Children are likely to complain about losing access to their accounts, and parents may be bewildered by the protests. However, Meutya believes this bitter pill must be swallowed amid what she calls a ‘digital emergency’. According to her, the policy is an effort by the state to reclaim the future sovereignty of our children and to support the holistic growth of the younger generation. “We are taking this step to reclaim the future sovereignty of our children. We want technology to humanise people, not sacrifice our children’s childhood,” she concluded.