At a forum in Jakarta on Monday (March 9), she clarified that the policy, set to take effect on March 28, is not intended to deprive children of technology but to ensure they are mentally prepared to navigate the digital space and its complexities.
"We decided that 16 is the most appropriate age to begin accessing social media. This is not a unilateral act by the government but the result of lengthy discussions with psychologists and child development experts," she said.
Hafid added that the government had also reviewed research on the impacts of social media access on children’s growth and development, responding to reports of public concern over digital addiction and exposure to harmful content such as hoaxes, pornography, cyberbullying, and online scams.
The minister also alluded to the growing risk of artificial intelligence (AI) being misused to generate or manipulate false information and narratives that are increasingly difficult to distinguish from the truth.
"As AI continues to develop, it is becoming more challenging to tell the real and the fake apart. This will certainly leave children puzzled about how to sift information," she stressed.
Recognizing the danger, she said the government has moved to provide stronger legal instruments to shield children from the adverse effects of social media, notably through Government Regulation No. 17 of 2025 and its derivative ministerial provision on access restriction.
"The government steps in to accompany parents in facing the challenges posed by algorithms," she concluded.
Yasser Baihaqy Bainy, a student from a public senior high school in Jakarta, voiced support for the policy, saying it can protect youngsters his age from evident dangers in the digital space.
"This regulation is very positive, considering my own experience and that of my peers," he said.
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Translator: Livia K, Tegar Nurfitra
Editor: Azis Kurmala
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