Indonesia’s Ministry of Communication and Digital has asked Roblox to open a local office and comply with child protection regulations, following concerns over violent content on its platform.

Roblox, a US-based gaming platform, met with officials after calls for a ban by local authorities.

The ministry will continue to monitor Roblox’s efforts, and hold regular meetings before deciding on possible blocking or age restrictions.

Officials hope to see improvements within one to two months.

The minister of education has already banned elementary students from playing Roblox, citing violent scenes.

The minister of state secretary also said the government may block games that are proven to negatively affect young people’s behavior.

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🔗 Source: Katadata

🧠 Food for thought

1️⃣ Indonesia uses regulatory compliance as primary enforcement tool for digital platforms

Indonesia’s approach to Roblox follows a pattern of leveraging local business registration requirements to control global digital platforms.

The government previously blocked major platforms like Steam and Epic Games for failing to register under local regulations, forcing them to comply with content monitoring and data request requirements 12.

This regulatory framework requires tech companies to register locally, giving the government authority to request user data and monitor content, which they are now demanding from Roblox through the PP Tunas and SAMAN compliance requirements.

The strategy allows Indonesia to maintain control over foreign platforms without outright bans, creating leverage for ongoing content oversight.

2️⃣ Indonesia’s gaming market size gives significant weight to regulatory decisions

Indonesia’s gaming industry represents a $1 billion market with over 170 million players, making regulatory decisions here particularly impactful for global platforms 2.

Roblox’s user base includes 40% under 13 years old among its 85 million daily active users globally, making Indonesia’s child protection stance especially relevant to the platform’s core demographic 3.

Local support appears strong for content restrictions, with Indonesian parents increasingly backing the proposed ban due to safety concerns, and Surabaya’s education department already implementing regional restrictions 34.

This combination of market scale and public support gives Indonesia substantial leverage in negotiations with global gaming platforms, potentially influencing how these companies approach content moderation in other markets as well.

Recent Roblox developments

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