Indonesia will impose interim child protection guidelines on social media companies while the government carves out a law to set a minimum age for users of the platforms, a senior communications ministry official said on Wednesday.

Indonesia intends to implement interim child protection guidelines for social media companies, amid efforts to legislate a minimum age for users. This follows Australia's lead in safeguarding minors online and aims to balance protection with access to information for underage internet users.

Indonesia intends to issue a regulation to set a minimum age for social media users, a move aimed at protecting children, Reuters reported citing the country's communications minister. Minister Meutya Hafid did not disclose what the minimum age would be in Indonesia.

Thousands of islanders are set to be evacuated after a volcano erupted in eastern Indonesia, spewing a towering column of smoke and ash into the atmosphere, officials said Wednesday.

This is the spectacular moment the Mount Ibu volcano erupted, sending a towering column of ash skywards in Indonesia today. Footage shows thick grey smoke billowing thousands of feet into the air, leaning towards the west and northwest in West Halmahera Regency,