Indonesia deactivates 4.7 million under-16 accounts on TikTok

Indonesia has deactivated approximately 4.7 million social media accounts belonging to children under 16, officials announced, marking a significant early enforcement of the country's new online safety regulations. The removals, which occurred in recent weeks, were carried out by TikTok and YouTube following a government order issued in March.

Communications and Digital Minister Meutya Hafid provided the figures, stating that TikTok, owned by ByteDance, has taken down 4.1 million accounts, while YouTube, owned by Alphabet, has removed about 600,000. The action stems from a regulation requiring platforms deemed "high risk" to deactivate accounts held by users under 16. The government's list of such platforms also includes X, Meta's Instagram, and the gaming site Roblox, suggesting the total number of deactivated accounts is likely to grow.

Minister Hafid emphasized that the goal extends beyond simply restricting access. She stated the government wants to see a change in behavior from the platforms themselves, pushing them to make their services safer and more appropriate for children. The regulation employs a risk-based approach, and officials are currently reviewing...