Indonesia forces removal of 4.7 million under‑16 social‑media accounts

Indonesia's government has mandated major tech platforms to delete 4.7 million accounts belonging to users younger than 16. TikTok disabled 4.1 million accounts, while YouTube removed 600 000, following a new regulation aimed at protecting minors from online exposure. The order also requires companies such as Meta, X (formerly Twitter) and Roblox to comply, marking the first large‑scale enforcement of age‑restriction policies in the region. Officials said the measure is part of broader efforts to safeguard children and to push platforms toward stronger age‑verification systems.

The crackdown follows similar steps taken by the United Kingdom, which passed the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Act 2026, and Australia, which banned under‑16 access to social media in late 2024. Indonesian authorities have requested detailed data on the account closures and plan to monitor compliance as further legislation tightens digital safety standards.