Indonesia – The Indonesian government, through its communications minister, has revealed plans to introduce a regulation setting a minimum age for social media use, aiming to enhance child protection in the digital space.
According to The Jakarta Post, the Communications and Digital Ministry is drafting a regulation to impose age restrictions on social media use. However, Minister Meutya Hafid has not disclosed the specific age limit being considered for Indonesia.
The report also highlighted that Minister Meutya’s remarks about the age restriction followed her discussion of the plan with President Prabowo Subianto.
“We discussed how to protect children in digital space. The president said to carry on with this plan. He is very supportive of how this kind of child protection will be done in our digital space,” Meutya said on a video posted on the YouTube channel of the president’s office.
A key factor considered to be driving the proposed social media age restriction is Indonesia’s internet penetration, which reached 79.5% last year, according to a survey by the Indonesia Internet Service Providers’ Association. The survey revealed that 48% of children under 12 use the internet, with many accessing platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok, while 87% of Gen Z users (ages 12–27) are online.
The announcement of Indonesia’s proposed social media age limit follows Australia’s recent approval of a regulation banning social media access for children under 16.
Late last year, Australia introduced the ‘Social Media Minimum Age bill,’ requiring platforms such as Meta’s Instagram and Facebook, along with TikTok, to prevent minors from logging in or face fines of up to A$49.5 million ($32 million). The ban is expected to take full effect within a year, Reuters reported.
The Straits Times also reported that Singapore is considering age limits for social media to protect young users. Under the new Code of Practice for Online Safety, app stores are required to block children under 12 from downloading apps like Instagram and TikTok, which are rated for users aged 12 and above.
