Official: Children Under 16 Cannot Own Social Media Accounts Starting 28 March 2026
Indonesia’s government has taken a revolutionary step to protect the future of its youth in cyberspace. Through Ministerial Regulation No. 9 of 2026, derived from Government Regulation PP TUNAS, children under 16 are officially prohibited from owning accounts on high-risk digital platforms such as social media.
The policy is set to come into effect gradually from 28 March 2026, with initial implementation on platforms including YouTube, TikTok, Facebook, Instagram, Threads, X, Bigo Live, and Roblox.
‘The decision was taken because the threats in the digital space affecting children are increasingly real: pornography, cyberbullying, online scams, and digital addiction,’ said Minister of Communication and Digital Affairs (Menkomdigi) Meutya Hafid in a press release on Friday, 6 March.
Meutya said the restriction is intended to shift the burden of protection. If in the past parents often felt they were fighting alone, now digital platforms are required to have strict age-verification systems to ensure their users meet the age requirements.
‘Technology must humanise people, not sacrifice our children’s childhood,’ said Meutya.
She also said the government understands the policy may provoke controversy or discomfort for some during the transition. However, the move is deemed crucial to ensure Indonesia’s digital space is a safe place for the growth and development of children and adolescents, not a battlefield of uncontrolled risk.
Kemenkominfo will ban under-16s from having accounts on several social media platforms such as TikTok, Facebook, Instagram, and X.
Amazon, together with Prestasi Junior Indonesia (PJI), is again organising the Amazon Girls’ Tech Day programme to inspire and prepare a generation of girls to face the future.
Meutya Hafid emphasised that press must maintain public trust in the face of misinformation and AI. Collaboration among media, government, and digital platforms is key to a healthy information space.
According to data from the Indonesian Internet Service Providers Association (APJII), 22 percent of internet users in Indonesia have experienced online fraud.
Minister of Communications and Digital Affairs Meutya Hafid received the Outstanding Public Service Innovations (OPSI) award at KIPP 2025.
Komdigi will remove under-16 social media accounts starting from 28 March 2026. See the phased rollout, list of platforms, and the rules of Permen Komdigi No. 9 of 2026 here.
French President Emmanuel Macron supports Indonesia’s new rule to limit under-16s on social media. See the list of platforms that will be deactivated starting 28 March 2026.
The Ministry of Health emphasises that PP TUNAS (PP 17/2025) is a milestone for child protection in the digital world. See the rules setting the 16-year age limit for high-risk social media.
There is a risk of access blocks that could hamper cognitive and social development of children and adolescents if this policy is not implemented carefully.
APJII data again: 22 percent of internet users in Indonesia have experienced online fraud.