Jakarta – Australia officially bans children under 16 from using social media and will impose a fine of USD 33 million or about IDR 550 billion if social media platforms do not restrict children from accessing their services. Deputy Chairman of Commission I DPR RI Dave Laksono said the regulations of Australia could be a reference for Indonesia. “We appreciate this decision as a form of state responsibility for the future of children, as well as an important reference for other countries in formulating child protection policies in the technological age,” Dave told reporters on Thursday (11/12/2025). Scroll TO CONTINUE CONTENT Dave said Indonesia has committed to protecting children in the digital space through PP Tunas or government regulation number 17 of 2025 on the management of electronic systems for child protection. He said this rule is the basis for child protection in the digital age. “This regulation regulates platforms’ obligations to limit negative content, provide age monitoring, verification, parental control, as well as reporting mechanisms for dangerous content,” he said. He said the sanctions in these regulations are not yet severe, however. Dave compared PP Tunas to regulations in Australia that severely threaten large fines if social media provider sites do not comply with age restrictions. “However, the sanctions aspect is still considered weak compared to Australia which imposes fines of up to IDR 500 billion, while PP Tunas does not yet have similar firmness. Commission I of the DPR RI encourages PP Tunas to be upgraded to a more comprehensive legislative product, so that child protection has a strong legal basis and clear violations sanctions,” he said. Previously, the Australian government officially implemented new regulations regarding the age limit for the use of social media. Teens under 16 are not allowed to access social media accounts. Reported by the BBC and Reuters, Tuesday (9/12), the ban will take effect at midnight local time. As many as five million children under 16 in Australia will lose access to social media from tomorrow. This rule makes Australia the first country in the world to ban the use of social media for children under 16 years of age. The government will block children’s access to all social media from TikTok, Facebook, X, to Instagram. A total of 10 platforms have been ordered by the Australian government to restrict their websites to children. Violating platforms are fined up to USD 33 million. (amw/haf)