Indonesia Blocks Social Media for Under-16s
Analysis based on 7 articles · First reported Mar 09, 2026 · Last updated Mar 10, 2026
The new regulation in Indonesia to block social media access for children under 16 is expected to negatively impact social media companies like ByteDance===TikTok, Google===YouTube, Roblox, Meta Platforms===Instagram, and Meta Platforms===Facebook, potentially leading to a decrease in their user base and engagement in the country. This regulatory action highlights a growing global trend of governments imposing stricter controls on social media use by minors, which could lead to similar regulations in other markets.
Indonesia's government is implementing a new ministerial regulation to block social media access for children under 16, effective March 28. This regulation will require platforms identified as 'high risk,' including ByteDance===TikTok, Google===YouTube, Roblox, Meta Platforms===Instagram, and Meta Platforms===Facebook, to deactivate accounts for users under 16. The move is driven by mounting concerns over child safety and mental health among minor social media users. ByteDance===TikTok and Google===YouTube are currently in discussions with the Indonesian government to understand and comply with the new provisions. Meta Platforms, the parent company of Meta Platforms===Instagram and Meta Platforms===Facebook, has expressed caution, suggesting that such bans might inadvertently push teens towards less safe, unregulated online environments. This initiative by Indonesia aligns with similar actions taken by other governments, such as Australia's, to curb social media use among children.
Set up alerts, explore entity relationships, search across thousands of events, and build custom intelligence feeds.
Open Dashboard