Not Only Indonesia: These 9 Countries Also Restrict Social Media Access for Children and Adolescents

The Indonesian government, through the Ministry of Communication and Digital Affairs (Komdigi), has introduced new regulations to restrict children under 16 years old from accessing numerous social media platforms and other digital services. The regulations are contained in the Ministry Regulation (Permen) Komdigi Number 9 of 2026. Under this regulation, the government will block user accounts belonging to children under 16 years of age on a number of applications deemed to pose high risks.

In recent months, several countries have announced plans to restrict social media access for children and adolescents. Australia became the first country in the world to ban children under 16 years old from using social media in December 2025. The ban covers platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, Threads, TikTok, X, YouTube, Reddit, Twitch, and Kick, though it does not include WhatsApp or YouTube Kids.

The Australian government has stated that social media companies must take steps to prevent children from using their services. Companies that fail to comply with this regulation can face fines of up to approximately 34.4 million US dollars, or around 570 billion Indonesian rupiah. The Australian government has also emphasised that platforms must use various verification methods to ensure users are over 16 years old, rather than relying solely on users self-reporting their age.

Denmark has announced plans to ban social media use for children under 15 years old. In November 2025, the Danish government announced that the ban had received support from three parties in the governing coalition and two opposition parties in parliament. According to Associated Press, the government’s plan could become law as early as mid-2026. Denmark’s digital affairs ministry has also launched a “digital evidence” application that includes age verification tools that may be used as part of the ban’s implementation.

In late January, French parliamentarians passed a draft law that would ban children under 15 years old from using social media. President Emmanuel Macron has endorsed the policy as an effort to protect children from excessive screen time. However, the draft law must still pass Senate approval before a final vote in the lower house.

In early February, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s conservative bloc discussed a proposal to ban children under 16 years old from using social media, according to Reuters reports.