The Indonesian government has officially announced a ban on high-risk social media platforms for citizens under the age of 16, citing the urgent need to protect minors from digital addiction and harmful online content. Minister of Communication and Digital Affairs Meutya Hafid confirmed that the new policy, a cornerstone of the “PP Tunas” child protection initiative, will begin full enforcement on March 28, 2026.

While aimed at improving online safety for young users, the measure could also have unintended consequences for the country’s esports ecosystem: Esports Charts estimates suggest that several popular esports titles could lose up to 14% of their viewership once the restrictions take effect. Under the new rules, major platforms such as TikTok, YouTube, Instagram and X will be required to deactivate accounts held by underage users or face significant legal and financial sanctions.

Legal framework and restricted platforms

The regulation, formally known as Government Regulation No. 17 of 2025, introduced a risk-based classification system for all digital services operating within the country. Platforms deemed “high-risk” due to their algorithmic nature or history of hosting predatory content are now strictly prohibited for anyone under the age of 16. Lower-risk services may remain accessible to teenagers aged 13 to 15, provided the platforms implement verifiable parental consent mechanisms and enhanced privacy defaults.

List of “high-risk” platforms:

The Ministry of Communication and Digital Affairs justified the move by highlighting data that shows nearly 50% of Indonesian children have encountered inappropriate sexual content or experienced cyberbullying. Government officials state that the rapid convergence of social media and gaming has made traditional monitoring difficult for parents. By mandating age verification at the platform level, the state aims to shift the burden of child safety from individual households to the technology companies themselves.

To ensure compliance, the government has warned that service providers must integrate robust identity verification systems to filter out underage users. Failure to comply with the new standards can result in a range of penalties, starting from formal warnings and escalating to heavy fines or a total termination of access within Indonesian territory. 

Impact on Mobile Legends and digital industry growth

While the primary focus of the legislation is child welfare, industry analysts warn of a catastrophic ripple effect on Indonesia’s massive gaming sector. The country has transformed into a global gaming powerhouse, with a player base reaching 155 million people, meaning over half the population identifies as active gamers. This “mobile-only” nation relies on affordable smartphones as the primary engine for digital growth and social connectivity.

At the center of this cultural phenomenon is Mobile Legends: Bang Bang (MLBB), a title that serves as the “social glue” for Indonesian youth. The game’s competitive ecosystem is a dominant economic force; the MPL Indonesia Season 16 recently generated over 100 million hours of watch time. Major events like the M7 World Championship in January 2026 reached a peak of 5.68 million concurrent viewers, proving that mobile esports in Indonesia can rival traditional sports in global audience reach.

The new social media ban directly threatens these milestones by severing the connection between leagues and their youngest fans. Major titles like MLBB and PUBG Mobile, where Indonesian is frequently the most-watched broadcast language, rely heavily on “high-risk” platforms like YouTube and TikTok for content distribution. 

Data from Esports Charts indicates that TikTok Live alone regularly contributes hundreds of thousands of viewers to major events, with the recent M7 World Championship drawing a staggering 1.4 million peak concurrent viewers from the Indonesian audience alone. By legally cutting off the under-16 demographic from key discovery and streaming platforms, the government might be pushing a large segment of young audiences away from the country’s rapidly growing digital entertainment ecosystem, where esports has become one of the most visible pillars.

Based on an evaluation of Indonesian-language viewership shares and demographic data from Moonton and Niko Partners, the editorial team and analysts at Esports Charts have projected the potential impact of the ban on the country’s most popular titles. The analysis focused specifically on Mobile Legends: Bang Bang and PUBG Mobile, given their deep integration into the local youth culture. 

The findings suggest that the Indonesian segments for these games could see a substantial decline in total watch time (Hours Watched), with MLBB projected to drop by 23% and PUBG Mobile by 19%.

These localized shifts are expected to resonate throughout the global viewership metrics of both titles. Due to Indonesia’s massive contribution to the MLBB ecosystem, the game’s total global Hours Watched could decrease by more than 15%. In contrast, PUBG Mobile, which maintains a more geographically diversified audience, is estimated to face a more moderate global viewership loss of over 4%. 

The timing of the enforcement adds a specific layer of urgency to the upcoming competitive season. The ban is set to take effect on March 28, 2026, which is exactly one day after the full commencement of MPL Indonesia Season 17. As one of the most-watched regional leagues in the global esports industry, the league’s performance is a primary benchmark for mobile engagement. Given the direct overlap between the new restrictions and the start of the season, the immediate impact on viewership metrics is expected to be substantial.