Minister of Education Says Social Media Ban for Under-16s Prevents Device Addiction
Indonesia’s Minister of Basic and Secondary Education (Mendikdasmen) Abdul Mu’ti has stated that the Communications and Digital Ministry’s (Komdigi) regulation limiting social media access for children under 16 years old can protect young people from device addiction.
According to the minister, the regulation is crucial to prevent children from experiencing excessive screen exposure, which can lead to addiction. “We fully support and appreciate the issuance of the Komdigi ministerial regulation on restricting device use for those under 16 years of age,” Mu’ti said in Jakarta on Sunday, 8 March 2026.
The Communications and Digital Ministry has officially banned children under 16 from accessing numerous applications deemed to carry high risks, based on Komdigi Ministerial Regulation Number 9 of 2026. This policy is a derivative measure from Government Regulation Number 17 of 2025 concerning child protection in the digital sphere. The account blocking process for underage users is scheduled to take effect on 28 March 2026.
Although devices are acknowledged to offer significant positive benefits, such as facilitating access to learning materials online, their implementation in practice is not without challenges. Mu’ti specifically highlighted potential loopholes that children might exploit, particularly regarding the possibility of data manipulation when registering on various social media platforms.
For this reason, the active role of parents and educators in schools is essential to monitor and provide comprehensive education regarding safe age limits for social media use. “Indeed, the challenge lies in the technical implementation, especially to ensure that children do not falsify their personal identity when creating social media accounts. Therefore, what is needed first is parental supervision, including age verification,” Mu’ti added.
The introduction of this restrictive regulation is expected to serve as a strong protective barrier against device exploitation that risks damaging children’s futures. “We hope this will save young people from device and internet misuse that is not educational and also inconsistent with our nation’s culture and civilisation,” Mu’ti said.