Indonesia has summoned officials from Meta and Google for failing to comply with new social media restrictions for children under 16, which took full effect last week. The country’s Communications and Digital Minister, Meutya Hafid, announced the move in a video statement released on Tuesday.
Under the regulation, social media platforms that Indonesia considers high-risk are required to deactivate accounts belonging to users under 16. Meutya stated that Meta and Google are “two business entities that are non-compliant with the law” and were called in on Monday for inspections.
The ministry has warned that failure to implement the restrictions could lead to sanctions or even a complete block of the platforms. Meutya added that both companies had opposed the rules from the very beginning.
As of Tuesday, neither Meta nor Google had responded to requests for comment. Last week, both companies said they had already put safeguards in place for children.
Other platforms deemed high-risk include Roblox and TikTok, which is owned by China’s ByteDance. Meutya noted that both companies have been warned to fully comply or risk being summoned as well. Neither responded immediately to requests for comment.
Indonesia’s new rules are designed to reduce risks like cyberbullying and addiction. They follow a similar ban in Australia last year over concerns about social media’s impact on young people’s mental health.
According to the ministry, high-risk platforms are judged based on factors like allowing contact with strangers, addictive features, and potential psychological harm.
A 2025 survey by the Indonesia Internet Service Providers’ Association found that internet penetration in the country reached 80.66%, and among “Gen Z” users aged 13 to 28, that number was even higher at 87.8%. There are approximately 70 million children under 16 living in Indonesia.
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