Minister of Communications and Digital says Indonesia is the first non-Western country to restrict children's access to social media

JAKARTA, Kompas.com - The Minister of Communications and Digital (Meutya Hafid) said that Indonesia is the first non-Western country to introduce a policy restricting children’s access in the digital space. The policy is set out in Ministerial Regulation of Communications and Digital No. 9 of 2026, a derivative regulation of Government Regulation (PP) No. 17 of 2025 on the Governance of Electronic System Administration in Child Protection (PP Tunas). ‘This means Indonesia is the first non-Western country to pause children’s access in the digital space according to age,’ Meutya said in a press release on Friday (6 March 2026). ‘The implementation phase starts on 28 March 2026, with child accounts under the age of 16 on high-risk platforms being deactivated,’ she said. The high-risk platforms to be deactivated are YouTube, TikTok, Facebook, Instagram, Threads, X, Bigo Live, and Roblox. Meutya emphasised that the main target of Regulation No. 9/2026 is the eight technology companies that must comply with the new regulation. The government believes that children currently face various serious threats in the digital world, from harmful content to psychological impacts that can affect their development. ‘Threats in the digital space for children are becoming more real, including pornography, cyber-bullying, online scams, and digital addiction,’ Meutya added. She added that the rule is enacted as evidence that the government wants to help parents face the challenges of the increasingly complex era of algorithms.