Indonesia Plans to Set Minimum Age for Social Media Users to Protect Children
Indonesian Minister of Communication and Information, Meutya Hafid, announced on Monday (January 13) that Indonesia is planning to introduce a regulation setting the minimum age for social media users in order to protect children.
In a video uploaded on the Indonesian President’s Office YouTube channel, Hafid mentioned that she discussed this plan with President Prabowo Subianto.
“We discussed how to protect children in the digital space, and the President expressed full support for advancing this plan. He is very supportive of implementing these child protection measures in our digital space,” said Hafid in the video.
Hafid did not disclose the specific age limit that the Indonesian government plans to set for children to use social media.
Previously, Australia announced a ban on children under 16 accessing social media platforms. Tech giants could face fines if they fail to prevent children from accessing their platforms.
According to a survey conducted by the Indonesian Internet Service Providers Association on 8,700 people, Indonesia, a country with a population of around 280 million, reached an internet penetration rate of 79.5% last year.
The survey revealed that 48% of children under 12 can access the internet, with some respondents using Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok. It also showed that the internet penetration rate among individuals aged 12 to 27 is as high as 87%.
This article is based on a report from Reuters.