Indonesia has reported that it will ban children under 16 from using social media and other popular online platforms.
This was reported by the Minister of Communications and Digital Affairs Meoutia Hafid reports the BBC.
According to her, starting March 28, accounts of users under the age of 16 on "high-risk platforms" will be deactivated. This will apply to YouTube, TikTok, Facebook, Instagram, Threads, X, Bigo Live, and Roblox.
Hafid explained the decision by saying that children are facing increasingly serious threats — from pornography, cyberbullying, and online fraud to social media addiction.
According to UNICEF data from 2023, approximately half of the 510 Indonesian children surveyed had already seen sexual images on social media.
Mass ban on social media for children around the world
In December 2025, Australia became the first country to ban social media for children under the age of 16. The countryʼs authorities explained their decision by saying that social media can harm children — for example, affecting their physical and mental health.
In January, France passed a bill in its first reading to ban social media for children under 15. The bill will now go to the Senate (the upper house of parliament) and, if it makes any changes, the National Assembly will vote on it again. If passed, France would become the first country in Europe to completely ban social media for children under 15.
The UK and Spain also want to ban social media for children under 16, and Greece is close to announcing a similar ban for children under 15, a Reuters source said.
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