Roblox is introducing significant changes to enhance child safety and give parents more control over their children’s activities on the platform. Starting next month, these updates will implement a range of new protocols, including parental permissions for users under 13 and stricter content controls for younger players.
Parents will be able to manage their child’s Roblox account through new parental accounts, allowing them to monitor screen time, friends, and online activities. Children under 9 will need parental consent to access game modes labeled with moderate violence or crude humor, while users under 13 will require parental approval to access certain chat features. The changes were first reported by Bloomberg and confirmed through communications sent to parents and shared with The Verge.
These updates will replace existing safeguards, such as parental PINs, account restrictions, and parental notifications, which will be discontinued. Instead, parents will link their accounts to their child’s, gaining access to insights like daily screen time and friends lists. However, some measures, like setting a PIN to limit a child’s account to “all ages” experiences, will not be part of the new system. Verified parental emails will remain for account recovery, and two-factor authentication will be available for added security.
These changes follow widespread concerns over Roblox’s ability to protect its younger users from inappropriate content and predators. Roblox has faced criticism over child safety issues for years, with concerns surrounding:
- A lawsuit in 2022 involving the exploitation of a minor on the platform.
- A ban imposed by Turkey in August 2023 due to concerns about exposure to inappropriate content.
- An exposé from Hindenburg Research in July 2023, describing Roblox as a platform with predatory behavior.
- A Bloomberg Businessweek investigation revealing over two dozen arrests by U.S. law enforcement since 2018 for child exploitation or abduction linked to the platform.
Roblox has expressed willingness to open an office in Turkey if the ban is lifted.
As part of its ongoing efforts to improve safety, Roblox is also transitioning from its current “Experience Guidelines,” which rate games based on age, to a new “Content Labels” system. This update will provide clearer descriptions of the type of content in each game, allowing parents to set limits on the maturity level their children can access.
Roblox has assured parents that these changes reflect its ongoing commitment to creating a safe environment for younger players. More details are expected next month when the changes go into effect.
Featured Image courtesy of JasonDoiy/Getty Images
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