Meta Responds After Indonesia Bans Children Under 16 from Having Social Media Accounts

Kapanlagi.com - The Ministry of Communication and Digital (Komdigi) officially prohibits children under 16 years old from having accounts on high-risk social media platforms, starting March 28, 2026. This policy is outlined in Ministerial Regulation Number 9 of 2026 as a derivative of the PP TUNAS to protect children from exposure to pornography, cyberbullying, fraud, and digital addiction.

In its implementation, accounts owned by children under 16 on several digital platforms such as YouTube, TikTok, Facebook, Instagram, Threads, X, Bigo Live, and Roblox will be deactivated. The tech giant Meta Platforms has finally responded.

Although supporting efforts to protect teens in cyberspace, Meta warns of hidden risks from the total prohibition policy. A spokesperson for Meta stated that overly strict restrictions could potentially push teens into darker corners of the internet.

"We are concerned that this policy could drive teens to more dangerous and unmonitored sites, or trigger the use of social media without login that offers minimal security protection," said the Meta spokesperson in an official statement, quoted from Liputan6.com, Friday (3/6/2026).

Access the full article at Liputan6.com.

1. Meta Highlights the Role of Parents

Meta emphasizes that the role of parents and control at the app store level is a more effective solution than direct bans by the government.

"We believe that parents should determine which apps are appropriate for teenagers," Meta added.

2. Meta's Response to Regulations in Indonesia

Regarding the details of regulations in Indonesia, Meta admits to still taking a wait-and-see approach.

"We have not received official regulations and are waiting for further details from the government before providing more in-depth comments," a Meta spokesperson clarified.

3. Social Media Observers Respond

Social media observer Enda Nasution views the regulation as a concrete step to strengthen child protection in the digital space. He emphasizes that the main goal of this policy is not merely to restrict social media usage, but also to protect children when accessing the internet more broadly.

"The intention is good; it is more about the overall protection of children when accessing the internet, not just limited to social media," Enda told Liputan6 on Friday (6/3/2026).

"We will just have to see how the implementation goes. I support a positive impact, but the developments must be evaluated together and transparently published to the public because this is our shared homework (PR)," he continued.

4. Meutya Hafid States This Regulation is Implemented Gradually

Meutya Hafid stated that the government is aware that the implementation of regulations restricting children's access to digital platforms may cause discomfort at first. The government assesses that the policy of restricting access to high-risk digital platforms remains an important step to protect children.

Meutya conveyed that the implementation of the regulation will be done gradually, until all platforms can fulfill their obligations in accordance with applicable regulations. Indonesia becomes the first non-Western country to implement restrictions on children's access to digital platforms. This policy is enacted as an effort to protect children from various threats in the digital space.

(kpl/dyn)