Overview
- Indonesia, which began phased enforcement Saturday, ordered high‑risk apps like YouTube, TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, X, Bigo Live and Roblox to block or deactivate accounts for users under 16.
- Communications minister Meutya Hafid urged immediate compliance and warned of fines or possible platform suspension, but the timeline and technical rules for deactivations and age checks remain unclear.
- Platforms outlined mixed steps, with X raising its minimum age to 16, Roblox adding controls for under‑16s, Meta touting Teen Accounts, and Google/YouTube supporting risk‑based safeguards while warning of lost educational access.
- Austria announced a plan to set a national minimum age of 14 for social media, with draft legislation due by the end of June and age checks promised through privacy‑preserving tools.
- Rights groups and experts cautioned that blanket limits could curb young people’s expression and earnings and may be easy to bypass with false ages or VPNs, even as recent U.S. jury verdicts against Meta and YouTube add pressure for tighter rules.