Indonesia becomes first in Southeast Asia to ban social media for kids

Indonesia began enforcing on Saturday nationwide restrictions on social media usage for children aged under 16, becoming the first country in Southeast Asia to do so amid global efforts to curb cyberbullying and internet addiction.

Around 70 million people are under the age of 16 in Indonesia, where concerns over cyberbullying, pornography, online fraud and compulsive screen use have been mounting as social media become increasingly embedded in daily life.

The policy will initially target under-16 users on digital platforms deemed as “high-risk” by the Indonesian government, including YouTube, TikTok, Facebook, Instagram, Threads, X, Bigo Live and Roblox.

These platforms are expected to prevent access to underage users, including by removing or deactivating accounts.

“There is no compromise for compliance. Every business operating in Indonesia must comply with existing regulations,” the communications and digital affairs minister, Meutya Hafid, said during a press briefing late on Friday.

X, Bigo Live, TikTok and Roblox have either made or announced changes to comply with the new policy, she added, warning that companies failing to comply are subject to sanctions.

The move follows a similar ban introduced by Australia, which became the first country in the world to do so last December.

Other nations have since begun considering similar moves, including the UK, Malaysia, Denmark, Greece, Spain, Ireland and Austria.

Indonesian officials have been raising alarms over risks in digital spaces for young people, often citing the average 7.5 hours daily screen time among young people and a 2023 UN-backed study that found around half of Indonesian minors had encountered sexual images on social media, while nearly half reported experiencing online bullying.

Abbygael, a 13-year-old from West Kalimantan province, said the social media curbs will greatly disrupt her daily routine when it comes into force.

“For me, social media is primarily a platform to look for information, and it is also a source of entertainment,” the eighth-grader told Arab News.

Though she is aware of how compulsive internet use might lead to mental health issues, she does not agree with the ban.

“I think it’s better to apply some age-appropriate controls rather than an outright ban,” she said.

A blanket ban on social media for children is “an overly simplistic solution to a complex problem,” said Usman Hamid, executive director of human rights organization Amnesty International Indonesia.

“The focus should be on making digital spaces safer, not excluding children from them,” he said in a statement.

“Such measures also disregard children’s right to be heard in decisions that affect their lives, including policies governing their digital access – an area increasingly central to their education, wellbeing, and ability to engage in public life.

A ban would also mean losing the opportunity to develop solutions that genuinely empower children to navigate the digital world safely.”

As the policy comes into force on Saturday, many parents and children are unsure of how the ban will be implemented.

“I’ve been thinking about its implementation, how strict will the enforcement be? Will there still be loopholes for abuse? Will kids find a way to still gain access?” Fransisca Angelina, a 32-year-old mother of two under-16 girls, told Arab News.

“In my opinion, rather than the government banning social media, the most important thing is still the role of parents at home, such as limiting, monitoring, and providing education about healthy internet use.”