Indonesia Flags Meta And Google Around Child Social Media Violations!

As more young users spend time online, concerns around their safety are steadily increasing. From exposure to harmful content to the pressure of constant connectivity, the digital world isn’t always built with children in mind. This has pushed governments to take a closer look at how social media platforms operate and the responsibility they carry.

 

TL;DR

 

• Indonesia has called out Meta and Google for not following new rules for users under 16.
• Platforms must remove accounts of children under 16 or face penalties or a ban.
• TikTok and Roblox have also been warned to follow the rules.

Indonesia is now taking a strong step in that direction. It has summoned tech giants Meta and Google for not fully complying with new rules for users under 16. These rules, which came into effect last week, require platforms considered “high risk” to deactivate accounts belonging to children below that age.

Communications and Digital Minister Meutya Hafid said Meta and Google are "two business entities that are non-compliant with the law" and confirmed they were called in to "undergo checks". The government has warned that not following the rules could lead to penalties or even a complete ban in the country.

Both companies had opposed these rules earlier, though they mentioned last week that they have already added safety measures for younger users. So far, neither has responded publicly after being summoned.

Other platforms like TikTok and Roblox are also on the government’s radar. They’ve been flagged as high risk and warned to comply soon or face similar action.
 
The government says these steps are meant to reduce issues like cyberbullying, addiction, and unsafe interactions online. Similar concerns have led countries like Australia to introduce restrictions focused on protecting young people’s mental health.

With internet usage in Indonesia crossing 80% and even higher among Gen Z, the impact is massive. There are nearly 70 million children under 16 in the country to make these rules both important and challenging to enforce.

Overall, this shows that governments are no longer just advising tech companies but actively making sure they follow rules when it comes to protecting younger users online.