Roblox among platforms required to restrict access for under-16 users in Indonesia

Indonesia – Roblox will introduce new content and communication controls for users under 16 in Indonesia, as the gaming platform moves to comply with the country’s tightening restrictions on children’s access to social media.

In an email to The Jakarta Post, Matt Kaufman, Chief Safety Officer at Roblox, confirmed that the company is preparing changes to address Indonesia’s new regulatory requirements for social media and online platforms.

“This week, we announced that in order to address regional requirements in Indonesia, we will soon introduce additional controls ‌on ⁠content and communication for players under the age of 16 years old in Indonesia,” Kaufman said, as quoted by The Jakarta Post. Roblox did not provide details about the additional controls.

Roblox is among the platforms classified as “high risk” by Indonesia’s Ministry of Communications and Digital Affairs, also known as Komdigi, alongside Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, Facebook, Threads, X, and Bigo Live.

Under a ministerial regulation issued earlier this month, Indonesia will require platforms deemed “high risk” to deactivate social media accounts belonging to users under 16. 

The deactivations are scheduled to take effect on March 28, according to Communications and Digital Minister Meutya Hafid. The move is part of the government’s broader effort to tighten social media access for children.

Indonesia said the restrictions will be implemented gradually until all platforms comply with the measure, The Associated Press reported.

“The government has instructed all digital platforms operating in Indonesia to immediately bring their products, features and services into compliance with applicable regulations. There will be no compromise on compliance, and every business entity operating in Indonesia is required to comply with Indonesian law,” Hafid said on Friday evening, as quoted by The Associated Press.

When announcing the regulation earlier in March, Hafid said the policy would apply to around 70 million children in Indonesia, which has a population of about 280 million. She added that high-risk digital platforms are identified based on factors such as the ease with which children can interact with strangers, exposure to harmful content, and risks related to exploitation and data security scams. 

Minister Hafid also acknowledged that implementation will be challenging, particularly in ensuring platform compliance and requiring companies to report the deactivation of under-16 accounts.

Notably, Indonesia is the first country in Southeast Asia to impose a social media ban on children. The move follows a similar measure in Australia, which introduced a nationwide ban preventing anyone under 16 from having accounts on major social media platforms under the Online Safety Amendment (Social Media Minimum Age) Bill 2024.