Support Flows After Komdigi Restricts Social Media for Under-16s, Including from the French President

JAKARTA, KOMPAS.com - Support is flowing after the Government formally restricted access to social media for children under the age of 16 as part of strengthening child protection in the digital space. The policy appears in the Regulation of the Minister of Communications and Digital (Permen Komdigi) No. 9 of 2026, derived from Government Regulation (PP) No. 17 of 2025 on the Governance of Electronic System Implementation in Child Protection (PP TUNAS).

Minister of Communications and Digital (Menkomdigi) Meutya Hafid stated that the policy was taken to safeguard the future of children amid rapid technological development and the use of digital platforms.

“This step we take to reclaim the sovereignty of our children’s future. We want technology to humanise people, not to sacrifice the childhood of our children,” Meutya said in a statement, quoted on Saturday (6/3/2026).

She noted that children face various serious online threats, such as pornography, cyberbullying, and online fraud. Furthermore, excessive use of digital platforms can lead to addiction that affects mental health and the growth and development of children.

“When the content is not problematic, excessive use of digital platforms can also lead to addiction that affects mental health and the growth of children,” Meutya added.

She added that the policy also aims to help parents face the challenges of an era of increasingly complex algorithms.

“The Government ensures that the responsibility for child protection lies with the platforms that manage the digital space, so parents do not have to face these challenges alone,” she said.

Indonesia’s move has also drawn attention from French President Emmanuel Macron.

He welcomed the policy to restrict access to social media for children taken by the Indonesian government.

In a post on the social media platform X on Friday (6/3/2026), Macron responded to reports about plans to restrict access to social media for underage children as announced by Meutya Hafid, the Minister of Communications and Digital.

“Thank you for joining this movement,” Macron wrote, adding a checkmark emoji.