After social media age limits, Jakarta now targets shopping platforms over teen scam risks.
Indonesia is considering banning under-16s from using e-commerce platforms, extending strict new child-safety rules that already bar teens from major social media services amid concerns over scams, pornography, bullying and addiction.
New Target: E-Commerce Platforms
Communications and Digital Affairs Minister Meutya Hafid said on May 6 that e-commerce sites are “next” in line for under-16 restrictions after authorities found children becoming scam victims through online shopping, though she did not yet give details on how access or age checks would work in practice.
Existing Social Media Age Ban
Since March, Indonesia has enforced a ban on social media accounts for under-16s to protect some 70 million children from online pornography, cyberbullying and internet addiction, placing it among the most restrictive regimes globally alongside Australia, which took similar steps in late 2025.
Scope Of “High Risk” Platforms
The rules initially focused on eight high risk platforms—YouTube, TikTok, Facebook, Instagram, Threads, X, Bigo Live and Roblox—but Meutya said they will eventually apply to all digital platforms, including online shopping, in a country of more than 284 million people with one of the world’s highest social-media penetration rates.
Government’s Framing And Platform Duties
Meutya likened parents’ efforts to challenge big platforms without regulation to “playing chess against a grandmaster,” arguing that rules are needed so families are not left alone. As in Australia, Indonesia’s regime places the onus on platforms to verify ages and restrict teen access, with phased enforcement and the threat of fines or service suspension for non-compliance.
Global Trend And Roblox Compliance
Authorities said Roblox recently complied by rolling out age verification and age-based content controls, crucial in Indonesia where more than half of its 45 million users are under 16. The move fits a wider global reckoning: Turkey now blocks under-15s from social media, and several European countries, including Norway, Greece, France, Spain and Denmark, have signalled plans for similar age-based restrictions.
Indonesia’s push to extend under-16 bans from social media to e-commerce underscores a fast-hardening stance on children’s digital exposure, particularly as scams and harmful content proliferate. Indonesians and Singaporeans face the shared challenge of balancing youth autonomy, online learning and commerce with protection from powerful platforms, making clear rules, robust age checks and meaningful industry cooperation central to safer digital childhoods across the region.
Sources: Straits Times (2026) , Yahoo! News Indonesia (2026)
Keywords: Under 16 Ban, Meutya Hafid, High Risk Platforms, Teen Scams, Global Tech Regulation
