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[Herald Economy reporter Kim Seong-hoon] Indonesia, after becoming the first Asian country to ban high-risk social media use by minors under 16, is now considering measures to block their access to e-commerce platforms, including online marketplaces.On the 7th (local time), AFP reported that Meutia Hafid, Indonesia’s minister of communications and digital affairs, told Yonhap she is reviewing a ban on e-commerce use for those under 16.
“E‑commerce platforms are next,” Meutia said in an interview with AFP, noting that some teens have become victims of fraud on online marketplaces. She did not provide specific examples.
She emphasized that the government’s goal is to help parents protect their children when confronting large platforms.
“Leaving parents to face these platforms alone, without any rules, is like playing chess against a grandmaster,” she said. “They will probably lose or find it extremely difficult to win.”
Meutia said protections for those under 16 would eventually extend to all digital platforms, including online shopping sites.
Indonesia has effectively barred high-risk social media use by under-16s since late March.
Under the policy, users under 16 cannot create accounts on digital platforms that could expose them to pornography, cyberbullying, online fraud, or addiction.
The rule covers eight platforms: YouTube, TikTok, Facebook, Instagram, Threads, X (formerly Twitter), Roblox, and Bigo Live.
In a country of more than 280 million people, authorities estimate roughly 70 million children and adolescents fall under the measure.
On Roblox, more than half of Indonesia’s 45 million users are under 16.
Earlier, Australia became the first country to adopt a blanket ban on minors’ use of social networks regardless of parental consent; that law took effect in December of last year.
Platforms that allow Australians under 16 to open accounts on X (formerly Twitter) or TikTok face fines of up to A$49.5 million (about 47.3 billion KRW).
