Indonesia Aims to Implement Minimum Age for Social Media to Protect Children

The government of Indonesia is set to implement a minimum age for social media use as part of its child protection efforts online. The Minister of Communication in Indonesia, Meutya Hafid, indicated that the government aims to enhance policies protecting children and keep minors away from threats like mental, physical, or moral harm. While the exact cut-off age was not announced, this move follows Australia’s stance of excluding social media use among people under 16 years old.

Indonesia aims to establish temporary child protection measures as part of the exercise of passing new legislation. The country has previously attempted to control Big Tech, and it has prohibited some firms such as Netflix and TikTok over content issues. With nearly 139 million social media users in Indonesia, including a considerable proportion of youth, the government’s action has been worrisome from a privacy and safety of personal data perspective.

There are some individuals, such as social worker Adi Sarwono, who say that social media is both a blessing and a curse for children. While some say that social media can make children more skilled, others are concerned about its ill effects on their health. According to Sarwono, wisely controlling the social media activities of children and keeping an eye on their activities is the way to go.