Indonesia sends letter of reprimand to YouTube over breach of social media curbs, minister says

JAKARTA, April 10 (Reuters) – Indonesia has sent Google a letter of reprimand because its YouTube platform has not complied with new social media curbs for children, a senior minister said, the first such sanction since the rules took effect last month. 

* Google’s YouTube has not fulfilled its requirements underthe new law and has not outlined steps to comply, Communicationsand Digital Minister Meutya Hafid said on Thursday. * “There’s no other choice from the Indonesian government totolerate them … and now we’re moving on to sanctions. And thatsanction is a letter of reprimand,” Meutya said, adding thegovernment expects Google to comply. * Google did not immediately respond to a request forcomment on Friday. * Indonesia requires social media companies with platformsit deems high risk to deactivate accounts belonging to childrenunder 16. * The sanctions for breaching the curbs could go as far as ablock on the platforms, Indonesia has said. * Indonesia has also flagged TikTok, Roblox, X and Meta ashigh-risk platforms. * On Thursday, Meta said it had changed its minimum-agerequirements to 16. * Indonesia’s curbs, which the government says are intendedto reduce the risk of cyberbullying and addiction, follow a banin Australia last year over concerns about social media’spotential harms to young people’s mental health.

(Reporting by Stanley Widianto; Editing by John Mair)