Complying with Government Rules, Roblox Prepares Access Restrictions for Child Users

Jakarta – The Roblox video game platform will introduce content and communication settings for players under 16 in Indonesia to comply with the government’s social media restriction policy for children. Roblox’s Chief Safety Officer, Matt Kaufman, stated that the measure is being taken to meet regional requirements in Indonesia.

“This week, we announced that to meet Indonesia’s requirements, we will soon introduce additional controls on content and communication for players under 16 in Indonesia,” Kaufman said, as reported by Reuters on Wednesday (25/3).

The Indonesian government previously established rules requiring platforms to deactivate high-risk social media accounts for users under 16 years old.

The provision is outlined in a ministerial regulation issued earlier this month and will take effect on 28 March, as stated by Communications and Digital Minister Meutya Hafid.

Roblox, Instagram, Google’s YouTube, and TikTok owned by China’s ByteDance company are included in the list of high-risk platforms identified by the government.

However, Roblox has not yet detailed the form of additional settings that will be implemented.

Meanwhile, the social media platform X stated that starting 28 March, users in Indonesia must be at least 16 years old to have an account.

In a statement on its official website, X noted that Indonesia’s minimum age requirement prevents social media platforms with age restrictions, including X, from allowing users under 16 to create or maintain accounts.

“This is not our choice, but a legal requirement in Indonesia,” the X statement read.

Several countries, including Australia, have also implemented restrictions on children’s social media use amid growing concerns about the safety and mental health of underage users.