Last year, Australia proposed a ban on social media for children under 16 and passed the law in just a few months. Key players in the social media landscape, like Meta, are currently testing methods to enforce these regulations. In the meantime, Indonesia is taking similar steps for its children, although it will take a few months for the law to pass. However, a senior communications ministry official has revealed that they will soon impose interim child protection guidelines.
This Monday, Indonesia's President Prabowo Subianto had a discussion regarding this topic with the country's communications minister, Meutya Hafid. The latter said that a minimum age for social media users will be set soon. However, he did not specify the exact minimum age involved. Senior official Alexander Sabar, who spoke to Reuters, said,
"What the minister means is that the government is headed for the direction of a stronger regulation on age limit, which is through the formation of a law."
As it happened in Australia, the details regarding the measures to be taken by the Indonesian authorities remain shrouded in mystery for the time being.
Indonesian authorities will move to protect children "from physical, mental, or moral perils" lurking on social media, but without limiting access completely. According to a recent survey, about 50% of children under 12 in Indonesia are currently using Facebook, Instagram, or TikTok.
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