Recently viral chat messages containing sexual harassment by 16 law students of University of Indonesia (UI) have sparked public condemnation and renewed concerns over widespread sexual violence on campuses.

TikTok had deactivated around 780,000 accounts belonging to users under 16 as of Friday, marking it “the first platform” to report measurable enforcement under Indonesia's new child protection rules.

The operation, known as Operation Khas Pagar Laut, was carried out from Feb. 27 to April 10, targeting illegal fishing, maritime violations and immigration offenses.

The National Narcotics Agency (BNN) has proposed regulating a ban on vaporizers under the narcotics and psychotropics bill, citing the discovery of illegal substances in several vape liquid samples, a move that has drawn pushback from industry players and vaping communities.

Although Health Ministry regulations stipulate that intern doctors should work a maximum of 48 hours per week, or eight hours a day over six working days, Indonesian Medical Association (IDI) chairman Slamet Budiarto said practices in the field often fall short of these standards.

The National Nutrition Agency (BGN) is facing renewed scrutiny after its procurement reports revealed billions of rupiah allocated for the hiring of planners for various campaigns, from training for its workers to recreational activities, raising fresh criticisms of overspending on the free nutritious meal program overseen by the agency.

Various sizes of gas canisters to contain nitrous oxide were found to be allegedly stored in and distributed from a rental house in West Jakarta, which the food monitoring agency said was not fulfilling the food and drug manufacturing standards.

Authorities across the country have rolled out measures to tackle land and forest fires and safeguard food supplies as the warming El Niño climate pattern is expected to return in the second half of the year, raising the risk of a prolonged dry season.

The government has issued a warning to tech giant Google for failing to comply with a newly enacted social media ban for children, while Meta has moved to meet the regulation by raising the minimum user age to 16 across Instagram, Facebook and Threads.

Yayat Ruchyat, a tofu and tempeh producer in Parepare, South Sulawesi, said the surge in plastic prices has placed him in a difficult position: raising prices could weaken consumers’ purchasing power and hurt sales, while keeping prices unchanged would further erode his already thin margins.

Promotional billboards for the horror film “Aku Harus Mati” (I Must Die) have drawn widespread criticism over concerns that they could encourage suicidal ideation, particularly among vulnerable groups such as children, amid rising mental health issues among the country’s youth.

The Communications and Digital Ministry’s newly implemented content rating system for video games has come in for criticism for its arbitrary age classification, prompting concerns among players and developers about the availability of games in Indonesia.

An environmental watchdog has found that over 430,000 hectares of forest areas were cut down last year, primarily for realizing President Prabowo Subianto’s food and energy self-sufficiency agenda.

The government’s temporary restriction on platforms operated by nonprofit organization Wikimedia Foundation has raised concerns among digital rights advocates, who warn that arbitrary controls risk undermining citizens’ access to free knowledge and freedom of expression.

According to Health Ministry data, as of March 22, the country had recorded 16,355 confirmed measles cases since the start of the year, resulting in 10 deaths.

Business groups caution over risks of lower productivity and slower spending.

In a video posted on Instagram late Monday, Communication and Digital Affairs Minister Meutya Hafid said "the government is sending summons letters" to Meta, which owns Facebook, Instagram and Threads, as well as to Google, which oversees YouTube, adding they "violated Indonesian law".

Bigo Live and X are the only two deemed ‘fully complying’ with the government’s restrictions on social media use for minors, according to Communication and Digital Minister Meutya Hafid.

The government will soon introduce a policy allowing civil servants to work from home one day per week as part of efforts to reduce national fuel consumption amid rising global oil prices caused by the ongoing war in the Middle East.

Some Indonesian minors fear losing their favorite entertainment platform, while parents look for alternative activities for their children as the government’s social media restrictions for under-16 users are set to come into effect on March 28.

The primary schooler is one of about 70 million children the government is hoping to shield from the threats of cyberbullying, pornography and internet addiction.

The more hours spent on social media, the lower well-being and life satisfaction among 15-years-olds, particularly girls, the 2026 World Happiness Report has suggested.

The government’s plan to enforce a mandatory one day of remote work per week for civil servants has drawn skepticism among analysts, who are calling for longer-term solutions to cushion the impact of rising global oil prices triggered by the Middle East war.

Heavy congestion and traffic accidents have again marked the annual Idul Fitri travel season this year, despite extensive preparations by the government to manage the surge in travelers making homebound trips.

A hybrid learning plan has been scrapped from austerity measures amid a rise in global energy prices due to the Middle East war, even as legal challenges continue against the multibillion-dollar free meals program.

The Immigration and Corrections Ministry has granted special remission for 154,785 prisoners and reduced prison sentences for 1,123 juvenile offenders on Idul Fitri. 

Prabowo spent the eve of Idul Fitri, also known as malam takbiran, in the North Sumatra provincial capital of Medan, where he had arrived the day before from Jakarta.