New rules, same old headache
Indonesia’s communications minister says TikTok and YouTube have deactivated roughly 4.7 million accounts belonging to children under 16 as the country’s social media restrictions begin biting. That’s a big number, and it shows the rules aren’t just a sternly worded memo gathering dust in some government inbox.
Why investors should care
When regulators start drawing age lines in the sand, platforms usually have two choices: comply now or get dragged into a messy, expensive back-and-forth later. Either way, it can affect user growth, engagement, ad targeting, and the general “move fast and collect everyone’s data” vibe that made these apps so sticky in the first place.
The bigger picture
This isn’t just an Indonesia story. It’s another sign that social platforms are being forced to act more like utilities with compliance departments than chaotic digital playgrounds.
If you own shares in the broader social media ecosystem, the message is pretty simple: governments are no longer asking nicely. Big picture: the next phase of growth may come with more guardrails, more ID checks, and a lot less shrugging.