JAKARTA — Social media giants TikTok and YouTube have together shut down approximately 4.7 million accounts belonging to children under the age of 16 in Indonesia, the nation’s communications minister announced, as the country’s new social media restrictions begin to show results.
TikTok, owned by Chinese tech firm ByteDance, removed roughly 4.1 million accounts, while YouTube — operated by Alphabet’s Google — deactivated an additional 600,000. Communications and Digital Minister Meutya Hafid made the announcement late Thursday, expressing hope that other platforms would take similar action. Neither company immediately responded to requests for comment.
The closures stem from a regulation Indonesia put in place in March, which mandates that social media platforms classified as high-risk must deactivate any accounts held by users younger than 16. Platforms already brought under the rule include X, Meta’s Instagram, and the videogame platform Roblox.
“We’re not just delaying a child’s access, but we want behaviours from platforms to change, too,” Minister Meutya said Thursday. She added that the ministry is currently reviewing self-assessment reports submitted by the companies involved.
Indonesian officials say the restrictions are designed to reduce the risks of cyberbullying and addictive platform use among young people. The policy draws comparisons to a landmark ban enacted in Australia last year, which was driven by concerns over social media’s impact on the mental health of minors.
Australia’s approach has drawn international attention, with multiple countries exploring similar measures as worries grow about the physical and mental well-being of children online. Most recently, Britain announced plans this month to expand restrictions even further, targeting gaming and live-streaming platforms in addition to traditional social media.
