This time, Indonesia is going to ban social media and some popular online platforms for children under 16 years of age. With this, the country has become the latest name in the list of countries imposing restrictions to protect the young generation from online harassment and harmful content.
Indonesia’s Minister of Communications and Digital Affairs Meutia Hafid announced that from March 28 accounts of under-16s will be disabled on some platforms deemed ‘high risk’.
Meutia Hafid said, initially, this ban will be effective on platforms like YouTube, TikTok, Facebook, Instagram, Threads, X (formerly Twitter), Bigo Live and Roblox.
Mewtia Hafid also pointed out that through this ban, Indonesia is the first non-Western country to delay children’s access to the digital world by age.
However, there was no immediate response from the respective platforms regarding this decision of the country.
Meutia Hafid said, ‘From watching pornography, cyber bullying, online cheating to online addiction, children are facing various problems. And it is growing steadily. This addiction is the biggest concern now.’
Mewtia Hafid added, ‘The government is now intervening so that parents don’t have to fight alone against big institutions like algorithmic platforms.’
According to a 2023 report by the United Nations children’s agency UNICEF, nearly half of the 510 Indonesian children surveyed had been exposed to sexually suggestive images on social media.
Amanda Cusumo, a 42-year-old working woman, told the BBC, ‘I’m a working mother, I have two children. Especially since the eldest son is a teenager, I don’t have time to keep track of what he is doing in the digital world all the time.’
Amanda Kusumo also said, ‘If the government introduces such rules, then our worries as parents are reduced a lot. I believe, this decision of the government will ultimately bring positive results for both children and parents.’
But Amanda’s 17-year-old son Matt Joseph sees both arguments for and against the ban. He commented, ‘It is true that children are not yet able to properly control their screen time or show moderation in phone use. But if the government were to completely block access to all platforms deemed risky for this, I think a more flexible and intelligent way could have been found.’
According to Matt, most of what young people like comes from social media. If the government wants them to use them less, they have to provide alternative incentives; For example, television programs can be improved.
He adds, ‘It would be nice to have entertainment that is designed with us in mind, that will make us learn as well as have fun.’
Meanwhile, Indonesia’s child protection agency said they could not comment on the matter without reviewing the government’s plans in detail.
Nurul Izmi of the Institute for Policy Research and Advocacy (ELSAM) said he did not get a chance to see the final draft of the rules. However, child protection in general is not limited to age-based restrictions. As an example, he points out, profiling-based advertising targeting children is prohibited in the European Union.
Nurul Izmi said, “Safety policies for child protection should be based on ‘safety by design’ or ensuring safety by design.”
Izmi also warned that enforcing age verification means collecting sensitive personal information of children. Therefore, it is very important to ensure that this data collection process is following the correct policy or not.
He said, ‘Right to information or freedom of expression cannot be ignored in protecting children on digital platforms. According to human rights, restrictions on any right must be lawful, necessary and proportionate.’
Indonesia made the announcement after Australia became the first country in the world to ban the use of social media by under-16s last December. Many countries in the world are now observing this policy of Australia.
Critics have called on the Australian government to also include online gaming sites such as Roblox and Discord, which are not currently covered by the policy.
They also expressed concern about age verification technology. According to critics, it can sometimes mistakenly block adults, while failing to identify minors
But apart from Indonesia, Spain and some other countries have said they will follow Australia’s lead.
Earlier this week, the UK launched a public opinion poll on introducing a similar ban. They have invited feedback from the younger generation, parents and carers before making the final decision.
Indonesia has previously taken steps to prevent sexually suggestive content online. Even access to artificial intelligence (AI) chatbot ‘Grok’ has been blocked. Other online sources that spread pornography, including OnlineFans and PornHub, have also been banned in the country.
