Tiktok and Youtube deactivate 4.7 million accounts
Photo: Reuters
Social media platforms TikTok and YouTube have deactivated approximately 4.7 million accounts belonging to children under the age of 16 in Indonesia. The massive sweep comes as the country begins strictly enforcing aggressive new social media restrictions.
Indonesia’s Communications and Digital Minister, Meutya Hafid, announced that ByteDance’s TikTok shut down 4.1 million accounts, while Alphabet’s YouTube deactivated 600,000. The government expects other tech giants to follow suit. Under a regulation enacted in March, Indonesia requires platforms deemed “high risk”—including X (formerly Twitter), Meta’s Instagram, and Roblox—to block users under 16 to combat cyberbullying and screen addiction, News.Az reports, citing Reuters.
Minister Meutya emphasized that the initiative goes beyond simply delaying a child’s access, stating that the government aims to fundamentally change platform behaviors. The ministry is currently reviewing self-assessment compliance reports submitted by the tech companies.
Indonesia’s sweeping crackdown aligns with a growing global movement to protect minors online. It follows Australia’s landmark ban on social media for children last year, a move that countries worldwide are closely watching and emulating due to rising mental and physical health concerns among youth. Just this month, Britain also announced plans for broader restrictions targeting gaming and live-streaming platforms.
News.Az
By Aysel Mammadzada
