Child’s play? Southeast Asia takes on Big Tech to protect kids online
Quick Look
Indonesia has banned children under 16 from using high-risk social media platforms, but enforcement is undermined as minors easily bypass restrictions by lying about their age, as illustrated by a Jakarta teenager accessing Instagram, TikTok, Minecraft, and Roblox despite the ban.
AI-generated summary
Why It Matters
Indonesia implemented strict rules in March 2026 banning children under 16 from using high-risk social media platforms as part of regional efforts in Southeast Asia to protect minors online.
From Indonesia to Vietnam, governments are making platforms answerable for children’s safety – but bans can only do so much
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Published: 8:00am, 10 Oct 2026
Indonesia officially barred under-16s from using “high-risk” social media earlier this year. But that hasn’t stopped the son of one Jakarta-based writer from using it.
Aged 14, he already had accounts on Instagram and TikTok – among the platforms Jakarta said children would be banned from using – as well as popular video game Minecraft and gaming platform Roblox. To register, he simply lied about his age.
“He can access everything,” Inne Abidin said of her son. “His friends use everything too.”
Since March, Indonesia has had some of Southeast Asia’s strictest rules governing children’s social media use.
What to Watch
AI outlook — possibilities, not facts
Indonesia will introduce stricter age verification requirements for social media platforms by mid-2027
Likely · Within months
Open Questions
- How will Indonesia strengthen age verification to prevent minors from lying about their age?
- Are other Southeast Asian countries planning similar enforcement measures?
- What penalties exist for platforms that fail to enforce age restrictions?
