Minister of Primary and Secondary Education Says Under-16s’ Social Media Access Ban Aims to Prevent Gadget Addiction

The Minister of Primary and Secondary Education (Mendikdasmen) Abdul Mu’ti has said that the regulation restricting social media use for children under 16 issued by Komdigi is part of an effort to protect children from gadget addiction.

“We strongly support and welcome the issuance of the Ministerial Regulation from Komdigi on restricting device use for those under 16. This is part of a cross-ministerial effort to ensure that children develop good habits and are protected from heavy gadget use,” Mu’ti said in Jakarta on Sunday, 8 March 2026, according to Antara.

Nevertheless, he said the implementation of the regulation would not be without technical challenges, among them how to ensure that children under 16 do not falsify personal identities when creating social media accounts.

Therefore, he stressed the need for strict oversight and widespread education from parents and teachers regarding the use of gadgets and social media by children, including the minimum age for creating an account.

He hopes that the regulation will prevent cases of gadget misuse among children.

“We hope this will save the younger generation from gadget misuse and also from the internet that is not educational and also not in line with the culture and civilization of the nation,” Mu’ti said.