Indonesia blocks millions of under-16 accounts

JAKARTA: TikTok has deactivated about nine million accounts belonging to children under 16 in Indonesia, while Meta has blocked another 184,000 across Facebook and Instagram under the country’s online child protection regulation, PP TUNAS.

Communication and Digital Affairs Minister Meutya Hafid said the number of TikTok accounts deactivated had risen from approximately 4.1 million in June, according to figures reported during the government’s six-month policy evaluation.

Meta’s blocked accounts comprised 85,000 on Instagram and 99,000 on Facebook, she said, adding that the company had also moved 22.5 million accounts belonging to minors to its Teen Account features.

“We are not only looking at how many accounts have been deactivated. More importantly, we want to see whether platforms have become safer for children.

“That is why we are also examining changes to features, service design and how platforms reduce risks to their users,” she said in a statement issued by the ministry.

Indonesia began enforcing PP TUNAS on March 28, restricting access to high-risk digital platforms for children under 16 to protect them from harmful content and other online risks.

Despite Meta’s measures, Meutya said Instagram and Facebook remained classified as high-risk platforms, requiring stronger safeguards against harmful content, contact with strangers, addiction and risks to children’s physical and mental well-being.

She said the government was also awaiting Meta’s report on underage accounts and risk mitigation on Threads, including details of any account deactivations.

Beyond these measures, Indonesia has joined the Global Coalition for Children’s Rights and Protection in the Age of Artificial Intelligence (AI) to address risks posed by emerging technologies through international cooperation.

“Why is there a global coalition of countries to regulate child protection in the age of artificial intelligence? Because no country can do it alone,” Meutya said.

She said the coalition’s 2026–2027 roadmap focused on safety, privacy, accountability, testing standards and AI literacy, including efforts to combat AI-generated deepfakes and child sexual abuse material.

Meutya said Indonesia, where about 70 million children are growing up in an increasingly digital environment, wanted to ensure that children’s safety, privacy, mental health and rights remained central to the development of AI governance rather than being addressed only after risks emerged. – BERNAMA