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5h ago

Indonesia Begins Enforcing Ban on Social Media Accounts for Under‑16s

The step signals a broader shift toward minimum ages on major platforms over concerns about online harms to children.

Image
Teenage boys use their mobile phone in Jakarta, Indonesia, March 16, 2026. (AP Photo/Dita Alangkara)
Maura Munthe, center, and her parents Lena Sinuraya, rear, and Ronald, right, use their mobile phone at their house in Jakarta, Indonesia, March 14, 2026. (AP Photo/Dita Alangkara)
Maura Munthe plays Roblox on her mobile phone at her house in Jakarta, Indonesia, March 14, 2026. (AP Photo/Dita Alangkara)

Overview

  • The policy, which took effect Saturday, requires platforms such as YouTube, TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, X, Bigo Live and Roblox to block or deactivate accounts held by under‑16s, affecting about 70 million children.
  • Indonesia places responsibility on companies to verify ages and shut underage accounts, with phased enforcement and potential fines or access restrictions for those that fail to comply.
  • X has set 16 as the minimum user age in Indonesia and Bigo Live says it is fully aligned, while TikTok, Roblox, YouTube and Meta report steps to adjust features or policies to meet the rules.
  • Austria announced Friday that it will draft a law by the end of June to set a nationwide minimum age of 14 for social media use, with age checks promised to protect privacy though details are not settled.
  • A Los Angeles jury this week found Meta and YouTube liable for harms from “addictive” design, adding legal pressure as rights groups in Indonesia warn blanket bans could stifle expression, reduce young creators’ income and be easy to evade.