Jakarta, INTI - Meta has officially launched Instagram Teen Accounts in the Asia-Pacific region, including Indonesia. This move coincides with the Ministry of Communication and Digital (Komdigi) efforts to review age restrictions for children accessing social media platforms.
Instagram for Teens: Enhanced Protection
In its statement, Meta announced that new teenage users would be automatically placed into Instagram Teen Accounts starting this week, with a gradual rollout over the coming months. Instagram Teen Accounts come with built-in protections that limit interactions and the content accessible to teenage users.
Some key features of Instagram Teen Accounts include:
- Private Accounts – Users under the age of 16 will automatically have private accounts, ensuring that only approved followers can see their content.
- Messaging Restrictions – Teens can only receive messages from accounts they follow or have previously connected with.
- Sensitive Content Restrictions – Default settings prevent teens from being exposed to inappropriate content, such as violence or cosmetic procedure promotions.
- Interaction Restrictions – Tags or mentions can only be received from followed accounts, and the "Hidden Words" anti-bullying feature is automatically enabled.
- Daily Time Limits – Users will receive reminders to close the app after spending 60 minutes per day.
- Sleep Mode – Notifications will be automatically silenced from 10:00 PM to 7:00 AM to minimize sleep disruptions.
Additionally, teenagers who wish to relax these protective settings must obtain parental approval through Instagram’s parental supervision feature.
Komdigi and Google Support Child Protection Regulations in the Digital World
Alongside this launch, Komdigi is drafting regulations to establish age restrictions for children accessing digital platforms. Minister of Communication and Digital, Meutya Hafid, emphasized that the regulation aims to ensure children's safety in the digital world without hindering their access to the internet. This initiative also receives support from Google, which is prepared to collaborate with the Indonesian government to create a safer digital environment for children.
According to Meutya, such regulations are necessary due to the high number of child pornography and online gambling cases in Indonesia. Data from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) ranks Indonesia fourth in the world for child pornography cases in 2024. Additionally, the Financial Transaction Reports and Analysis Center (PPATK) reports that approximately 80,000 children under the age of 10 have been involved in online gambling.
New Regulations: Age Restrictions and Digital Platform Classification
The proposed regulation will be included in the Draft Government Regulation (RPP) on the Governance of Child Protection in Electronic Systems. This regulation will not only set age restrictions for children accessing digital platforms but also classify platforms based on their risk levels.
The Chairperson of the Indonesian Child Protection Commission (KPAI), Ai Maryati Solihah, stated that certain features on digital platforms pose risks to children, such as location-sharing features and manipulative content designed to deceive them. Therefore, the regulation will further outline monitoring measures and platform responsibilities in protecting teenage users.
Implementation and Strict Supervision
To ensure the effectiveness of this regulation, Komdigi will not solely rely on platform blocking but will also implement the Content Moderation Compliance System (SAMAN). This system requires digital platforms to remove rule-violating content within a specific timeframe, particularly content related to child pornography and terrorism. Under Ministerial Decree No. 522 of 2024, digital platforms are mandated to delete such content within a maximum of four hours after receiving a warning.
Involvement of Experts and Academics
In drafting this regulation, Komdigi is collaborating with experts and academics to determine the ideal age restrictions for children accessing digital platforms. According to Meutya Hafid, the policy must have a tangible positive impact and be formulated based on research-based approaches.
Additionally, the government will engage in intensive discussions with various digital platforms to ensure optimal implementation. This regulation is expected to create a safer, healthier, and more productive digital space for Indonesia’s younger generation.
In the near future, this regulation is expected to be finalized as part of President Prabowo Subianto’s directive to strengthen child protection in the digital world. Meutya reaffirmed that Indonesia aims to keep pace with other nations in fostering a responsible digital ecosystem that prioritizes the protection of young users.
Conclusion
The launch of Instagram Teen Accounts and Google’s support for age-restriction regulations represent concrete steps toward enhancing child safety in the online world. With automatic protection settings and parental supervision features, teenagers are expected to engage with social media more safely and responsibly. The Indonesian government is also striving to tighten regulations to safeguard children from digital threats, such as harmful content and online gambling. These initiatives aim to create a healthier and safer digital space for the younger generation.
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