Roblox announced on Thursday that children under 16 in Indonesia must undergo facial scans to verify their age, complying with new government restrictions on minors' use of digital platforms. The gaming platform, popular with children, introduced tailored accounts: Roblox Kids (ages 5–12, no chat) and Roblox Select (ages 13–15, limited chat).
Nicky Jackson Colaco, Roblox’s vice president and global head of public policy, described the measures as among the strictest the company has implemented worldwide. The rollout automatically transitions 23 million accounts identified as under 16, using facial scanning for age estimation. Users who do not complete the scan will be placed in a Roblox Kids account without chat access.
The age verification tool requires a video selfie, which Colaco said is immediately deleted. Indonesia’s Communication and Digital Affairs Minister Meutya Hafid noted that Roblox has about 45 million users in the country, including 23 million children. Roblox was the only gaming platform classified as high-risk by the Indonesian government.
In addition to age-based accounts, Roblox will categorise games by age and limit screen time to address addiction concerns. Parents can set specific play hours. Indonesia’s regulation, effective from the end of March, bans children under 16 from platforms that could expose them to addiction, pornography, scams, or cyberbullying.
Seven of eight high-risk platforms, including YouTube, TikTok, and Facebook, have committed to restricting children’s access. Indonesia is also urging platforms to report suspended accounts as part of the regulation's implementation.
