JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) — Indonesia will ban social media for children under 16, Communication and Digital Affairs Minister Meutya Hafid said Friday.
Hafid in a statement to media said that she just signed a government regulation that will mean children under the age of 16 can no longer have accounts on high-risk digital platforms, including YouTube, TikTok, Facebook, Instagram, Threads, X, Bigo Live and Roblox.
The implementation will start gradually from March 28, until all platforms fulfill their compliance obligations.
“The basis is clear. Our children face increasingly real threats. From exposure to pornography, cyberbullying, online fraud, and most importantly addiction. The government is here so that parents no longer have to fight alone against the giant of algorithms.” Hafid said.
She added that the government is taking this step as the best effort in the midst of a digital emergency to reclaim sovereignty over children’s futures.
“We realize that the implementation of this regulation may cause some discomfort at first. Children may complain and parents may be confused about how to respond to their children’s complaints,” Hafid said.
Earlier this week, Indonesia’s Ministry of Communication and Digital Affairs conducted a surprise inspection of Meta Platforms’ Jakarta office over concerns about the handling of harmful content on its platforms, including Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp.
The ministry in a statement said that through this inspection, the Minister of Communication and Information Technology issued a stern warning regarding Meta’s low level of compliance with national regulations.
The Associated Press has sent email requests for comment to TikTok and Meta, but has not yet received a response.
Indonesia will be the first country in Southeast Asia to restrict the access of children to social media.
The restriction of social media access for teens began in Australia in December 2025. Social media companies have revoked access to about 4.7 million accounts identified as belonging to children in Australia
A woman uses her mobile phone in Jakarta, Indonesia, Friday, March 6, 2026. (AP Photo/Dita Alangkara)
People use their mobile phones at a bus stop in Jakarta, Indonesia, Friday, March 6, 2026. (AP Photo/Dita Alangkara)
VERONA, Italy (AP) — The Milan Cortina Winter Paralympics will officially open later Friday amid the tensions of war in the Middle East and with some countries intending to boycott the opening ceremony because of the return of the Russian flag to the global sports stage.
Ukraine is leading the list of countries not attending the opening ceremony in Verona to protest the decision of the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) to allow Russian athletes to compete under their own flag and with their national anthem. The Russian flag hasn’t been flown at the Paralympics since the 2014 Winter Games in Sochi, while the national anthem has not been heard at any Olympics or Paralympics since the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Summer Games.
The opening ceremony will take place at the Arena di Verona, marking the first time a Paralympic ceremony is held at a UNESCO World Heritage site. The ancient Arena has been retrofitted with new wheelchair ramps and accessible restrooms along with other safety upgrades.
The Milan Cortina Games mark the 50th anniversary of the Winter Paralympics. More than 600 athletes will compete across 79 events in six sports. It is the biggest Winter Paralympics ever, with a record female participation, according to the IPC.
Para cross-country skier Aboulfazl Khatibi is expected to be the only athlete from Iran participating in the Games that begin less than a week after the United States and Israel launched their military attack.
Khatibi was announced as Iran’s flagbearer but he will not actually carry the flag — volunteers will be handed the task for all nations because not all flagbearers will be able to attend the ceremony for logistics and training issues.
Many athletes will miss the opening ceremony as they are located in different competing clusters across Italy. The curling events began on Wednesday.
China arrives looking to establish itself as the main Paralympic powerhouse. The Chinese have topped the medal count in the Summer Paralympics every time since 2004, and four years ago topped the Winter Games for the first time with a record-setting performance.
AP Winter Paralympics: https://apnews.com/hub/paralympic-games
Polina Rozkova of Latvia, rides to the position during a wheelchair curling mixed doubles round robin session against Great Britain at the 2026 Winter Paralympics, in Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy, Thursday, March 5, 2026. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka)
Italy's Orietta Berto, left, and Paolo Ioriatti compete against China during a wheelchair curling mixed doubles match at the 2026 Winter Paralympics in Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy, Thursday, March 5, 2026. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka)
Polina Rozkova of Latvia, pushes a stone during a wheelchair curling mixed doubles round robin session against Great Britain at the 2026 Winter Paralympics, in Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy, Thursday, March 5, 2026. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka)
Paolo Ioriatti, left, of Italy, and Jinqiao Yang, right, of China, look at curling stones during a wheelchair curling mixed doubles at the 2026 Winter Paralympics, in Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy, Thursday, March 5, 2026. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka)
Athletes compete during wheelchair curling mixed doubles matches at the 2026 Winter Paralympics, in Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy, Thursday, March 5, 2026. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka)
