Indonesia will ban social media for children under 16, communication minister says
Ethics
Indonesia will ban social media for children under 16, Communication and Digital Affairs Minister Meutya Hafid said Friday.
Hafid in a statement to media said that she just signed a government regulation that will mean children under the age of 16 can no longer have accounts on high-risk digital platforms, including YouTube, TikTok, Facebook, Instagram, Threads, X, Bigo Live and Roblox.
The implementation will start gradually from March 28, until all platforms fulfill their compliance obligations.
"The basis is clear. Our children face increasingly real threats. From exposure to pornography, cyberbullying, online fraud, and most importantly addiction. The government is here so that parents no longer have to fight alone against the giant of algorithms." Hafid said.
She added that the government is taking this step as the best effort in the midst of a digital emergency to reclaim sovereignty over children's futures.
"We realize that the implementation of this regulation may cause some discomfort at first. Children may complain and parents may be confused about how to respond to their children's complaints," Hafid said.
Residents and parents in Jakarta welcomed the government's restrictions on access to social media, especially because children have access to social media through mobile phones.
"I think that it has been very worrying for minors, especially children. Because they have too much freedom with photos, videos and everything. Some education is educational, but some is misleading. So we really need to sort through social media again," said Marianah, 43, who like many Indonesians uses a single name.
Others suggested that the government should also block other harmful websites, such as pornography and online gambling sites.
"As parents, we hope that online gambling and pornography websites can also be removed. So, in a sense, the government must also be fair. This is for the sake of the people themselves, for the children, and for the children's growth and development," said Harianto, 49, a resident in Jakarta.
Earlier this week, Indonesia's Ministry of Communication and Digital Affairs conducted a surprise inspection of Meta Platforms' Jakarta office over concerns about the handling of harmful content on its platforms, including Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp.
The ministry in a statement said that through this inspection, the Minister of Communication and Information Technology issued a stern warning regarding Meta's low level of compliance with national regulations.
The Associated Press has sent email requests for comment to TikTok and Meta, but has not yet received a response.
Indonesia will be the first country in Southeast Asia to restrict the access of children to social media.
The restriction of social media access for teens began in Australia in December 2025. Social media companies have revoked access to about 4.7 million accounts identified as belonging to children in Australia.
Other countries, including Spain, France, and the UK are also taking or are considering measures to restrict minors' access to social media amid growing concern that children are being harmed by exposure to unregulated social media content.
Related listings
-
Fights over charters loom over NASCAR as teams, series await key court rulings
Ethics 07/17/2025It’s the summer to sue in NASCAR, the sport where the on-track bumping and banging is in danger of being overshadowed by the action in the courtroom. Two teams — one owned by retired NBA great Michael Jordan — are suing NASCAR over ...
-
Top UN court orders Israel to halt military offensive in Rafah
Ethics 05/20/2024The United Nations’ top court ordered Israel on Friday to immediately halt its military offensive in the southern Gaza city of Rafah, but stopped short of ordering a cease-fire for the enclave. Although Israel is unlikely to comply with the ord...
-
Biden taps Montana law professor to be 9th Circuit judge
Ethics 09/02/2022President Joe Biden nominated has nominated a University of Montana law professor to be a judge on the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.Anthony Johnstone is a former solicitor for the state of Montana who has taught at the University of Montana sinc...
Workers’ Compensation Subrogation of Administrative Fees and Costs
When a worker covered by workers’ compensation makes a claim against a third party, the workers’ compensation insurance retains the right to subrogate against any recovery from that third party for all benefits paid to or on behalf of a claimant injured at work. When subrogating for more than basic medical and indemnity benefits, the Texas workers’ compensation subrogation statute provides that “the net amount recovered by a claimant in a third‑party action shall be used to reimburse the carrier for benefits, including medical benefits that have been paid for the compensable injury.” TX Labor Code § 417.002.
In fact, all 50 states provide for similar subrogation. However, none of them precisely outlines which payments or costs paid by a compensation carrier constitute “compensation” and can be recovered. The result is industry-wide confusion and an ongoing debate and argument with claimants’ attorneys over what can and can’t be included in a carrier’s lien for recovery purposes.
In addition to medical expenses, death benefits, funeral costs and/or indemnity benefits for lost wages and loss of earning capacity resulting from a compensable injury, workers’ compensation insurance carriers also expend considerable dollars for case management costs, medical bill audit fees, rehabilitation benefits, nurse case worker fees, and other similar fees. They also incur other expenses in conjunction with the handling and adjusting of workers’ compensation claims. Workers’ compensation carriers typically assert, of course, that, they are entitled to reimbursement for such expenditures when it recovers its workers’ compensation lien. Injured workers and their attorneys disagree.