Official: YouTube to Block Accounts Under 16 in Indonesia Starting Today

Video-sharing platform YouTube has started blocking accounts of users aged under 16 in Indonesia today, Wednesday (22/4/2026). This is in compliance with Government Regulation No. 17 of 2025 on the Governance of Electronic Systems in Child Protection (PP Tunas). Communications and Digital Minister Meutya Hafid stated that this commitment was marked by the submission of a compliance letter from Google, YouTube’s parent company, to the government. “Today, the government appreciates that YouTube has delivered the compliance letter. The compliance letter has been officially submitted directly,” said Meutya, quoted by KompasTekno from the official Kemkomdigi website, Wednesday (22/4/2026). “If checked today, it is stated that under 16 years old. So it is firm that those under 16 are not allowed,” she emphasised. In addition to setting the minimum age limit, YouTube has also outlined plans to deactivate children’s accounts gradually. This step is accompanied by the cessation of ads targeting children and teenagers on the platform. “This is done gradually. So if some are already affected and some are not, that is because the process is ongoing,” said Meutya. The government emphasised that the implementation of this policy is not done all at once to ensure the adjustment process runs optimally on the ground. “We align with the Indonesian government’s commitment to continue supporting the protection of children and teenagers in Indonesia,” she stated. With this policy, YouTube users in Indonesia under 16 years old may lose access to their accounts during the transition period over the next few months. However, user data and content are said to remain stored and can be accessed again once the user reaches the specified minimum age. As a precautionary measure, users are advised to secure their data through export services like Google Takeout or to permanently delete content if necessary. The government noted that to date, seven global digital platforms have declared compliance with PP Tunas, including X (formerly Twitter), TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, Threads, and Bigo Live. Meanwhile, the Roblox platform is still in the process of communicating with the government. The government also requests all platforms to submit a self-evaluation within three months since the regulation was enacted, or at the latest in June 2026. “We see this platform as a role model. If they want to, they certainly can,” Meutya concluded.