On March 6, Indonesia's Ministry of Communications and Digital Affairs (KOMDIGI) issued Ministerial Regulation No. 9 of 2026 (MR 9/2026) as well as and Ministerial Decrees No. 140 and No. 142 of 2026 to implement the Child Protection in Digital Space Regulation (PP Tunas), prohibiting children under 16 from holding accounts on high-risk digital platforms. Phased enforcement of the MR 9/2026 regulation began on March 28, with platforms given a three-month window from March 6 to submit self-assessments to KOMDIGI and begin deactivating relevant accounts. Decree 140 formally designates eight social networking and social media services as high-risk products, services, and features. Meanwhile, Decree 142 establishes Risk Assessment Technical Guidelines and Verification Procedures. The regulation and subsequent decrees come as several countries, including Malaysia and Singapore, are considering stricter digital age limits for children over mental health and safety concerns.
Platforms that fail to submit self-assessments, or are found non-compliant, face escalating sanctions ranging from written warnings and fines to temporary suspension and termination of access. All social networking and media platforms have been categorized as "high risk" by default – unless reassessed by both the platform and the Minister. Platforms are required to conduct self-assessments across seven risk dimensions for children (e.g., contact with strangers, personal data threats, addiction risks, psychological or physiological harm), and a high-risk level in any of these dimensions will place a platform in the "high risk" category. Platforms must further implement age verification mechanisms and provide parental control technology for platforms that allow children to contact unknown users. Platforms called for examination may be summoned up to three times before sanctions are imposed in absentia, with all available evidence. False or misleading self-assessments are also grounds for more severe penalties. Enforcement is underway, with suspected non-compliant platforms being issued formal warnings or summoned for examination.
