Indonesia’s new social media restrictions are beginning to bite, with TikTok and YouTube disabling nearly 4.7 million accounts belonging to children under 16, according to Communications and Digital Minister Meutya Hafid. TikTok, owned by China’s ByteDance, shut down 4.1 million accounts, while Google’s YouTube removed 600,000. Hafid said Thursday that the ministry expects other platforms to follow suit, though neither company immediately commented.
The move stems from a regulation issued in March requiring platforms deemed “high risk” to deactivate underage accounts. So far, this has included X, Instagram, and Roblox. “We’re not just delaying children’s access — we want platforms to change their behaviour,” Hafid stressed, noting that officials are now reviewing self-assessment reports submitted by the companies.
Indonesia’s restrictions, which the government claims are aimed at reducing the risk of cyberbullying and addiction, follow a ban implemented in Australia last year due to concerns about the potential harm social media poses to the mental health of young people. This groundbreaking experiment in Australia is being closely monitored by countries worldwide, as they seek to adopt similar measures in light of worries about the mental and physical health of minors. Additionally, Britain announced earlier this month that it plans to introduce broader restrictions that will include gaming and live-streaming platforms.
Source: Citi Newsroom
