THE government is mulling an e-commerce ban for under-16s, the communications minister said, hot on the heels of Jakarta imposing a sweeping social media prohibition for teens.
“E-commerce (platforms) are next, because we found children who became scam victims through e-commerce,” Communications and Digital Minister Meutya Hafid said in Jakarta, without providing further details.
In March, app-addicted Indonesia started enforcing a social media ban for under-16s in a bid to shield some 70 million children from the threats of online pornography, cyberbullying and internet addiction.
The policy followed Australia’s landmark move in December to stop teenagers holding accounts on many popular platforms.
The Indonesian regulation initially targeted eight “high risk” platforms: YouTube, TikTok, Facebook, Instagram, Threads, X, streaming service Bigo Live and gaming platform Roblox. But it will eventually apply to “all digital platforms”, Meutya said yesterday, including online shopping sites.
The South-East Asian archipelago of more than 284 million people boasts among the highest concentration of social media users in the world. Meutya said the government’s aim was to help parents take on the “big platforms” to protect their children.
“Letting them face off against (the platforms) alone, without rules, is like letting parents play chess against a grandmaster. They won’t win, or it will be very hard to win,” Meutya said.
Non-compliance with the ban, which will be phased in over time, will put defaulters at risk of a fine or even suspension of their services in the country. — AFP
