Ankara: Indonesia on Saturday officially began enforcing curbs on social media accounts for children under 16, becoming the first country in Southeast Asia to adopt such nationwide restrictions, the daily Jakarta Globe reported.

According to Anadolu Agency, Communications Minister Meutya Hafid announced that US social media platform X has “fully complied” with the new rules. The platform has agreed to enforce a minimum user age of 16 in Indonesia, a requirement mandated by Indonesian law, as stated on X’s help center page.

X, which had 25.2 million users in Indonesia as of early 2025, has taken steps to align with these regulations. Meutya Hafid emphasized that the government retains the right to enforce these measures in accordance with domestic regulations, including the imposition of sanctions if necessary.

Government figures reveal that 48% of Indonesian internet users are minors under 18, with over 80% of Indonesian children spending an average of seven hours online daily. Additionally, about 35.57% of younger children have access to the internet.

With this initiative, Indonesia follows in the footsteps of Australia, which became the first country to implement such restrictions last December. This move positions Indonesia as a regional leader in regulating minors’ access to social media.