Indonesia is set to implement a sweeping restriction on social media access for children under 16, effective March 28, 2026. The policy targets what the government defines as high-risk platforms, though the exact criteria for this classification remain unspecified. Official statements emphasize the measure is intended to protect youth mental health and limit exposure to harmful online content. Malaysia has publicly endorsed Indonesia’s approach, signaling regional alignment on youth digital safety, though Kuala Lumpur has not announced parallel enforcement actions. In India, Karnataka’s Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has proposed a similar ban on social media platforms for users under 16, but authorities have yet to finalize which platforms would be affected, leaving implementation details uncertain.
In the United States, legal and regulatory scrutiny of social media platforms continues to intensify. Over 100 school districts in Indiana have filed lawsuits alleging that platforms contribute to student harm through addictive design and exposure to damaging content, part of a broader wave of litigation focused on youth well-being. These legal actions coincide with a scheduled meeting between the U.S. Election Commission and major social media companies on March 11, 2026, where officials plan to address concerns about misinformation and the growing threat of deepfakes ahead of the upcoming election cycle. Separately, a report by the Global Project Against Hate and Extremism indicates that irregular militias within the U.S. are actively using major social media platforms for recruitment, raising alarms about the role of digital infrastructure in facilitating extremist mobilization.