YouTube and TikTok are engaging with the government of Indonesia over its plan to block social media access for children under 16 beginning later this month, company officials said on Monday.
Under a new ministerial regulation distributed on Monday, platforms will be required to deactivate “high-risk” social media accounts belonging to users under 16.
The Indonesia's Ministry of Communications and Digital Affairs last week identified several platforms as high risk, including Roblox, Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok, which is owned by ByteDance.
YouTube said it is reviewing the regulation to ensure it empowers parents while preserving access to educational content for millions of Indonesian users. “We will continue to engage constructively with the government and remain committed to protecting youth in the digital world, not from it,” a spokesperson said.
TikTok said it was engaging with the ministry to better understand the provisions of the regulation, noting that teen accounts on the platform include more than 50 preset safety, privacy and security features.
Indonesia’s communications and digital minister, Meutya Hafid, said the deactivation requirement will take effect on March 28.
Responding on Friday before the regulation was released, Meta Platforms, the parent company of Instagram and Facebook, warned governments considering bans should be careful not to push teenagers toward less safe, unregulated sites or logged-out experiences that bypass key protections. The company added that both Instagram and Facebook Teen Accounts include default safeguards.
Several governments, including Australia, have introduced restrictions on children’s social media use amid growing concerns about safety and mental health among minors.
Bd-pratidin English/ Jisan
