Industry - Policy Change
Executive Summary
Roblox will require all Indonesian users under 16 to undergo facial scans to verify their age, affecting approximately 23 million children on the platform, in compliance with new government restrictions on minors' social media use. Users who do not complete facial verification will be automatically placed in restricted "Roblox Kids" accounts with no chat features. The company states the facial scan data will be immediately deleted after age estimation, though Indonesia has classified Roblox a...
What Happened
Roblox announced on April 30, 2026 that all Indonesian users under 16 must complete facial age verification scans to continue using the platform with full features. The company will automatically transition approximately 23 million accounts identified as belonging to minors, placing unverified users into restricted 'Roblox Kids' accounts without chat capabilities. This policy change responds to new Indonesian government restrictions on minors' social media use, with Indonesia classifying Roblox as the only high-risk gaming platform requiring such measures.
Who Is Affected
Approximately 23 million Indonesian children under 16 who use Roblox are directly affected and must undergo facial scanning to maintain access to chat features and age-appropriate content. Parents of these users are impacted as they will need to manage verification for their children and can set screen time limits. Users who decline or cannot complete facial verification will lose chat functionality and be restricted to the most limited account type designed for ages 5 to 12.
Why It Matters
This represents one of the strictest age verification implementations Roblox has deployed globally, establishing a precedent for biometric data collection from millions of children to access digital entertainment. While Roblox claims facial scan data is immediately deleted after age estimation, the requirement creates a new standard for government-mandated biometric verification of minors on gaming platforms. The scale of affected users and the sensitivity of collecting facial biometrics from children raises significant questions about data protection, consent, and the normalization of surveillance technologies for platform access.
What You Should Do
If you are a parent of an Indonesian child using Roblox, review the facial verification requirement with your child and decide whether to proceed with scanning or accept the restricted account limitations. Before completing verification, understand that you are providing biometric data about your child, and while Roblox states this data is deleted immediately, verify their privacy policy and data handling practices. Consider using parental controls to set screen time limits regardless of verification status, and monitor what account type and game categories your child can access based on their age group.
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