Indonesia issues fresh summons for Google, Meta over teen social media ban

Indonesia issued a second round of summons letters on Thursday to Google and Meta for allegedly flouting a days-old ban on social media access for under-16s.

The Communication and Digital Ministry said it had "issued a second summons letter to Google (YouTube) and Meta (Facebook, Instagram, Threads) after both parties failed to comply" and warned of "sanctions".

App-addicted Indonesia began enforcing a social media ban for users under the age of 16 on Saturday, citing threats from online pornography, cyberbullying and internet addiction.


The ministry said Thursday Google and Meta had asked for a postponement and had failed to comply with a first summons issued earlier in the week for alleged non-compliance.

"Summonses can be issued up to a maximum of three times before sanctions are imposed," the ministry statement said.

It added that "compliance with child protection regulations is not merely an administrative obligation, but a responsibility that has a direct impact on children's safety in the digital space".

Concerns have grown globally over the impact of social media on children's well-being, with Australia becoming the first in the world to require sites to remove accounts held by under-16s.

"Every delay prolongs the risks faced by children in the digital space. Therefore, we demand concrete and timely compliance from all platforms, including global platforms," said the ministry's Director General for Digital Space Supervision, Alexander Sabar.

If not, "enforcement mechanisms will proceed", he added without providing further details.

Indonesia, with its population of over 284 million, boasts among the most social media users in the world, and has about 70 million children under the age of 16.

Meta said it had requested an extension that was approved by the government, the company's head of public policy in Indonesia and the Philippines Berni Moestafa said in a statement Thursday.

Berni added that Meta will meet with the ministry next week and that it is "committed to protecting teens on our platforms and will share more information once it is confirmed".

Google did not immediately respond to AFP's requests for comment.