Blog - Audience
The under-16 social media ban - why Roblox is where brands meet young fans now
Short answer: governments are switching off social media for under-16s - Australia since December 2025, Indonesia and Malaysia in 2026, and the UK by spring 2027. Online games are being treated differently. In Australia and the UK, games like Roblox sit outside the ban, so they are becoming one of the biggest places young people still spend time together - and one of the few left where a brand can build something they actually choose to visit.
What is the under-16 social media ban?
It's a set of national laws that stop children holding accounts on social media. The platforms - not parents or children - have to check ages and close underage accounts, with big fines if they don't.
- Australia went first. From 10 December 2025, under-16s can't hold accounts on Facebook, Instagram, Threads, Snapchat, TikTok, X, YouTube, Reddit, Twitch and Kick. Platforms removed or restricted around 4.7 million accounts in the first days.
- Indonesia started on 28 March 2026, and Malaysia's law came into force in June 2026.
- The UK announced on 15 June 2026 that under-16s will be banned from social media by spring 2027, following Australia's model.
- More than 20 countries now have restrictions planned or in force, including France, Greece, Denmark, Spain, Norway and Türkiye.
Is Roblox included in the social media ban?
In the two markets that matter most for UK brands, no.
Australia: the law exempts services whose main purpose is online gaming. Platforms were assessed on whether their "sole or significant purpose" is social interaction, which left Roblox outside the ban. Roblox told the regulator it is a gaming platform, pointing out that it doesn't allow real-world photos or videos, re-shared news or social feeds.
UK: the government has said games are not part of the ban and children will still be able to play multiplayer games. What changes is chat with strangers: from spring 2027, stranger contact and livestreaming will be switched off by default for under-18s - on social media and on gaming platforms. Roblox already uses age checks to stop adults contacting children they don't know.
The exception is Indonesia, which named Roblox as a "high-risk" platform alongside TikTok and YouTube, and required extra controls for under-16s. It's a reminder that the rules are set country by country.
| Platform | Australia (now) | UK (from spring 2027) |
|---|---|---|
| TikTok, Instagram, Snapchat, Facebook, X | Banned for under-16s | Banned for under-16s |
| YouTube | Banned for under-16s | Banned for under-16s (YouTube Kids exempt) |
| WhatsApp and messaging | Allowed | Allowed |
| Roblox and online games | Allowed | Allowed - stranger chat off by default |
Where do young people go when social media is switched off?
Australia gives us the first real data. The ban hasn't stopped teenagers being online - it has moved them. In a March 2026 survey of 1,050 Australians aged 12-15, 43% of those who had social accounts said they were using gaming platforms more since the ban, and 39% were messaging more. Many were also still finding ways onto the banned apps.
Games are where friends meet after school now. And the scale is already there: Roblox had 138 million daily users in the third quarter of 2026, and about 30% of US 13-17 year olds use it every day.
Why brands can't ignore Roblox after the ban
For a decade, the default way to reach under-16s was social: influencer posts, short video, branded accounts. That channel is closing country by country. Three things follow.
- Your social following stops renewing itself. In banned markets, the next generation can't follow your account until they turn 16. If they first meet your brand at 16, a lot of their tastes are already set - Two Circles found 76% of UK football fans choose their team by 14.
- Attention moves to places people go on purpose. A game world is something young players choose to visit, with friends, for a long session - not a feed they scroll past. That's a better place to be remembered than a six-second ad.
- Owned beats rented. If you rely on someone else's game, you rent its audience for a few weeks - and from January 2027 Roblox charges a fee per visit on brand integrations. A world you own keeps the players, the data and the revenue. We set out the case in why brands should own a Roblox world, not rent one.
How to do it responsibly
The bans exist because parents and governments are worried about children online. A brand on Roblox has to be part of the answer, not the next headline.
- Build for the right age. Use the correct Roblox content maturity label and design for a mixed-age audience.
- Don't depend on stranger chat. Design social features around friends and parties, which is where the UK rules are heading anyway.
- Follow Roblox's advertising rules. Label branded content clearly, publish odds on any paid random items, and avoid gambling-style mechanics.
- Plan for change. Rules differ by country and will keep moving. Build so features can be switched off by region.
We cover this in more detail in who actually plays Roblox.
What could change
Nothing here is permanent. Australia's regulator has warned that gaming platforms remain under review, Indonesia has already included Roblox, and the UK has not published final definitions. But the direction is clear: governments are separating social media from games, and putting safety rules on games rather than banning them. Brands that build carefully inside those rules are building where the audience is going.
FAQ
When does the UK social media ban start? The government has said by spring 2027. It will stop under-16s holding accounts on platforms such as TikTok, Instagram, Snapchat, YouTube, Facebook and X.
Is Roblox banned for under-16s? Not in Australia or the UK, where it is treated as an online game. Indonesia is the exception, naming Roblox as a high-risk platform and requiring extra controls for under-16s.
Can brands still reach under-16s online? Yes, in places outside the bans - most of all games. On Roblox, a brand can build its own world, made for the right age group and following Roblox's advertising rules.
Will games be added to the bans later? Possibly in some countries. For now, the UK and Australia are regulating features in games, such as chat with strangers, rather than banning games outright.
Sources
- Al Jazeera: Britain announces sweeping social media ban for under-16s (June 2026)
- Outlook Respawn: UK social media ban to restrict gaming chat for minors (June 2026)
- PPC Land: UK bans social media for under-16s - what the new rules actually do (June 2026)
- Anadolu: How Australia's teen social media ban works (December 2025)
- AAP: Roblox escapes under-16s social media ban for now
- RNZ/ABC: 4.7m accounts closed after Australia's ban began (January 2026)
- Molly Rose Foundation: Australia's social media ban - is it working? (April 2026)
- CMS: Indonesia introduces social media ban for minors (March 2026)
- AFP via The Star: A growing list of countries move to ban social media for children (July 2026)
- Roblox Q3 2026 results, as reported by Gaming.net (October 2026)