Indonesia is set to block teenagers from social media apps, stating it will prevent anyone under 16 from having accounts on YouTube, TikTok, Facebook, Instagram, Threads, X, Bigo Live, and Roblox, according to an Associated Press report. The restrictions will begin on March 28 and continue until all platforms comply with the ruling, the government said.
Indonesian Communication and Digital Affairs Minister Meutya Hafid said there are "clear" reasons for the bans.
"Our children face increasingly real threats," Hafid said. "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."
After a surprise inspection earlier this week of Meta Platforms' office in Jakarta, the nation's capital, government officials said Meta was not fully complying with national restrictions around content moderation, disinformation and online gambling on its platforms Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp, the AP report said.
A wave of global restrictions
Dozens of other countries around the world -- including the US, Canada, Germany and Brazil -- have either banned or are considering bans on social media for children of certain ages. The reasoning is that kids can be exposed to pornography or other sexually explicit content, as well as depictions of violence.
Many governments and online safety groups argue that addictive algorithms can harm young, developing brains, and that being on social media too young and too often can cause depression, anxiety and disconnection from reality.
In December, Australia banned anyone under 16 from having accounts on TikTok, Facebook, Instagram, Threads, X, Snapchat, YouTube, Reddit, Kick and Twitch. Indonesia has a monumental task ahead to match this. While Australia has just 27 million people, Indonesia is the world's fourth most-populated country at 286 million -- a quarter of them 14 and under.
In February, Spain said it would ban anyone under 16 from using messaging apps such as TikTok, Instagram and X. France also wants to ban kids under 15 from social media, with President Emmanuel Macron blaming it for youth violence, and the United Kingdom is also mulling an under-16 ban.
As for restricting children's access to social media in the US, it's a patchwork of state laws. Florida has a partial ban for kids under 14, and California and New York are trying to regulate "addictive feeds." Utah, Texas, and Arkansas have tried to require parental consent for minors to have social media accounts.
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