Serang Regent Supports Restriction of Social Media Access for Children Under 16

Serang (ANTARA) - Serang Regent, Ratu Rachmatuzakiyah, has stated full support for the central government’s initiative to urge technology company Meta to restrict access for children under the age of 16 to social media platforms such as Facebook, Threads, and Instagram. “I strongly agree and support this policy so that children under 16 years old can no longer freely access inappropriate content,” said the Regent, who is familiarly known as Zakiyah, in Serang on Friday. This support aligns with the implementation of Government Regulation (PP) Number 17 of 2025 on the Governance of Electronic Systems in Child Protection, known as PP Tunas, to create a safe digital space for the younger generation. The Regent assessed that this restriction policy is very urgent because current digital platforms still struggle to filter information senders or content that freely enters children’s devices. According to her, the restriction represents the state’s presence in protecting children’s rights amid the overwhelming flow of information that cannot be fully contained by personal filters or parental supervision alone. Regarding technical supervision at the local level, the Serang Regency Government (Pemkab Serang) is currently preparing to implement the programme while awaiting further official guidance from the central government. “First, we will wait for the circular from the Ministry of Communication and Digital (Komdigi). After that, we will issue subsequent regulations to be applied in Serang Regency,” Zakiyah concluded.