Roblox Pressured by Indonesia to Open Local Office and Comply with Child Protection Laws

Indonesia’s Ministry of Communication and Digital asked Roblox to open a local office and comply with child protection laws; the government body is responsible for the country’s communication and information affairs. Prior to asking, local authorities called for Roblox, a US-based gaming platform, to be banned from the country. 

According to Tech in Asia, the ministry plans on monitoring Roblox’s efforts and holding regular meetings before committing to blocking the platform. The officials hope to see improvements from Roblox within a month or two; the Minister of Education already banned elementary school students from playing Roblox. 

Tech in Asia believes that “Indonesia’s approach to Roblox follows a pattern of leveraging local business registration requirements to control global digital platforms,” and Indonesia’s gaming industry makes up $1 billion market with over 170 million players.

Roblox saw backlash from within the United States as well, with the Louisiana Attorney General having filed a lawsuit against the company. The attorney general alleges that Roblox is overrun with harmful content and child predators because it prioritizes “user growth, revenue, and profits over child safety.” 

According to legal documents, 20% of Roblox users are under 9 years of age, 20% are 9-12, 16% are 13-16 and 44% are 17 or older. Roblox recently banned a content creator from the platform; he was best known for assisting in the arrest of six child predators. Michael “Schlep” received a cease and desist letter, threatening potential legal action.