YouTube, TikTok engaging with Indonesia government on child social media block  

JAKARTA, March 9 (Reuters) – TikTok and video platform YouTube are in discussions with Indonesia’s government about its plan to block social media access for children under 16 starting later this month, company officials said on Monday.

* Indonesia will require platforms to deactivate “high risk”social media accounts for under 16s, according to a newministerial regulation distributed on Monday. * Roblox, Instagram, Google’s YouTube and TikTok, owned byChina’s ByteDance, were among platforms identified by theCommunications and Digital Ministry last week as being highrisk.  * YouTube said it was reviewing the new regulation to ensureit empowers parents and preserves access to learning formillions of Indonesians. “We will continue to engageconstructively with the government and remain committed toprotecting youth in the digital world, not from it,” aspokesperson said. * TikTok was “engaging with the ministry to betterunderstand the provisions” in the new regulation, a spokespersonsaid, adding teen accounts on TikTok have more than 50 presetsafety, privacy, and security features. * The deactivation would take effect on March 28, saidMeutya Hafid, Indonesia’s Communications and Digital Minister. * In a response on Friday, prior to the release of theregulation, Meta, which owns Instagram and Facebook, said”governments considering bans should be careful not to pushteens toward less safe, unregulated sites, or logged outexperiences that bypass important protections,” adding therewere default safeguards for Instagram and Facebook TeenAccounts.  * A number of governments, including Australia’s, haveimposed curbs on social media for children amid mountingconcerns over safety and mental health among users who areminors.

(Reporting by Stanley Widianto; Editing by Martin Petty)