West Sumatra Governor Supports Social Media Access Restrictions for Children Under 16 Years
West Sumatra Governor Mahyeldi Ansharullah has expressed his support for the central government’s policy restricting social media access for children under 16 years of age. He views this measure as crucial for protecting young people from various negative influences in the digital space.
Mahyeldi considers the social media access restriction part of a collective effort to safeguard the future of young people, ensuring they develop with strong character, good morals, and focus on their education. “We must not allow things that could damage our children’s future to go unchecked. We must control this together, through parents, schools, and society,” he said on Tuesday, 10 March.
He explained that the restriction policy is regulated under Communications and Digital Ministry Regulation No. 9 of 2026, which derives from Government Regulation No. 17 of 2025 on Child Protection in Electronic System Governance (PP TUNAS).
According to Mahyeldi, efforts to protect children from the negative impacts of technology are also being implemented in schools, including policies prohibiting students from bringing mobile phones into classrooms. “Now in our schools we are also controlling mobile phone use. Children are not allowed to bring phones into class so they can focus better on learning,” he added.
During the occasion, Mahyeldi also motivated primary, junior secondary, and senior secondary school students participating in Ramadan activities at the mosque and presented prizes to recognise their commitment to learning and worship.
The West Sumatra Provincial Government also delivered various assistance to support mosque and community activities. Assistance distributed included 50 million rupiah from the provincial government, 40 copies of the Quran, 10 million rupiah aid from Bank Nagari, and 12.5 million rupiah assistance through the Education Office.
Additionally, West Sumatra BAZNAS provided 3 million rupiah in aid for mosque staff and an educational programme worth 1.706 billion rupiah for 1,706 students in Padang City, symbolically handed over to Padang City’s Acting Regional Secretary.
Padang City’s Acting Regional Secretary (Pj. Sekda) Raju Minropa, representing Padang’s Mayor, welcomed the West Sumatra Provincial Government delegation and appreciated the provincial government’s attention to Padang City residents. He also expressed gratitude for provincial government support in disaster response efforts from November and December.
The Head of Limau Manis Grand Mosque Management, Jasman, explained that the mosque management focuses not only on physical construction but also actively conducts various social activities and community character building. He stated that the mosque management is committed to ensuring no children in the Limau Manis area drop out of school due to financial constraints, even providing direct assistance when children need school supplies.
“By God’s grace, our Limau Manis Grand Mosque has also produced several judges for the provincial Quranic Recitation Competition. We also continue to build children’s character through the Smart Surau programme,” Jasman said.