Indonesia summons Meta, Google over social media law violations

Indonesia has issued summons letters to Meta, the parent company of Facebook, Instagram, and Threads, as well as to Google, which operates YouTube, after the tech giants were accused of violating Indonesian law, officials said.

In a video posted on Instagram late on March 30, Minister Meutya Hafid said the summonses were sent “as part of the application of administrative sanctions in accordance with the applicable provisions.” She added that the companies had opposed the new regulations “from the very beginning," Caliber.Az reports per foreign media. 

The move comes after Indonesia began enforcing a social media ban for users under 16 on March 28, citing risks from online pornography, cyberbullying, and internet addiction. Minister Hafid emphasised over the weekend that there would be “no room for compromise regarding compliance.”

In her March 30 video, she highlighted that platforms such as TikTok and Roblox were not yet fully compliant but were “making efforts” and would receive warning letters.

“We will focus on working with platforms that have the goodwill to respect Indonesia, not only as a digital market, but also [by] committing to Indonesian laws and legal instruments for child protection,” she said.

With a population of over 284 million, Indonesia is one of the world’s most active social media markets, including around 70 million children under 16.

“We understand this is not easy. Indonesia is indeed one of the most active countries in the digital space, with average scrolling time of 7–8 hours per day,” Hafid said.

She urged parents and children to assist the government in monitoring compliance and reporting companies that flout the law.

Australia, which became the first country in December to introduce measures protecting teens from online threats, is also investigating Facebook, TikTok, and YouTube for potential breaches.

By Sabina Mammadli