TikTok and YouTube have deactivated about 4.7 million accounts belonging to children under the age of 16 in Indonesia, as the country begins enforcing new regulations aimed at making social media safer for young users.
Indonesia’s Communications and Digital Minister, Meutya Hafid, said TikTok removed 4.1 million accounts, while YouTube deactivated another 600,000. She also urged other platforms to comply with the regultion.
TikTok, owned by Chinese technology company ByteDance, and YouTube, which is operated by Google, did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
The new regulation, introduced in March, requires social media platforms classified as high risk to deactivate accounts belonging to users under 16. The regulation currently applies to TikTok, YouTube, Instagram, X and online gaming platform Roblox.
Unlike systems that rely mainly on users declaring their age, Indonesia’s policy requires platforms to actively identify and remove underage accounts.
Authorities are also reviewing self-assessment reports submitted by more than 200 platforms to determine whether they are meeting the new requirements.
Explaining the government’s position, Hafid said: “We’re not just delaying a child’s access, but we want behaviours from platforms to change, too.”
The government said the restrictions are designed to reduce cyberbullying, excessive screen time, digital addiction and other online risks facing children.
Officials have also pointed to algorithm-driven content feeds and social comparison as potential harm to young people’s mental health in ways that content moderation alone cannot address.
The removal of 4.7 million accounts is one of the largest enforcement actions of its kind and is being monitored by governments considering similar measures.
Indonesia’s approach follows Australia’s decision to ban social media use for children under 16 in 2025 over concerns about its impact on young people’s mental health.
However, reports have revealed that about 85% of Australian teenagers bypassed the restrictions by creating alternative accounts.
Britain has also announced plans to expand its online safety measures to cover gaming and live-streaming platforms, while Norway and Italy are considering similar policies as governments continue to debate how best to protect children online.
