Indonesia reports 4.7 million under-16 accounts deactivated
Australia’s social media ban for minors is being closely watched and replicated by governments worldwide.
TikTok and YouTube have deactivated about 4.7 million accounts belonging to children under 16 in Indonesia, according to the country’s Communications and Digital Affairs Minister Meutya Hafid.
TikTok deactivated around 4.1 million accounts, while YouTube removed about 600,000. The move follows a regulation introduced in March requiring platforms deemed high risk to deactivate accounts held by users under 16.
The rule applies to services including TikTok, YouTube, X, Instagram and Roblox. Hafid said the government expects other platforms to follow the same approach.
Indonesia says the measures are intended to reduce children’s exposure to online harms, including cyberbullying, harmful content and internet addiction. Hafid said the government is not only trying to delay children’s access to social media, but also to change platform behaviour.
The ministry is reviewing self-assessment reports submitted by digital platforms and has said there is no room for compromise on compliance.
Indonesia’s approach reflects a wider global shift towards stricter rules on children’s access to social media and high-risk online services. Australia’s under-16 social media ban took effect in December 2025, while other governments are considering stronger restrictions and age-assurance requirements.
Why does it matter?
Indonesia’s enforcement shows how child online safety regulation is moving from policy debate to platform-level action. Deactivating millions of accounts creates immediate compliance pressure on major services and raises wider questions about age assurance, children’s rights, privacy and access to online spaces. The case also shows that governments are increasingly asking platforms not only to remove underage users, but to redesign how they manage risks for minors.
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