Roblox Restricts Children’s Chats with Adult Strangers
Roblox is implementing new measures to restrict children’s chats with adult strangers. This decision is part of an effort to improve safety on one of the world’s most popular gaming platforms. Users will need to complete facial age checks before accessing chat features.
New Age Verification Measures
The age checks utilize the device’s camera to estimate users’ ages. These measures were announced after ongoing criticisms of the platform for permitting young users to encounter inappropriate content and communicate with adults.
- Over 80 million daily players worldwide in 2024.
- Approximately 40% of users are under the age of 13.
Concerns and Criticism
Despite the new measures, parents and child safety advocates continue to express concerns. Some suggest that children remain at risk of online harm even with these improvements. Rani Govender from the NSPCC highlighted these “unacceptable risks” and urged Roblox to ensure effective enforcement of the new rules.
Legal and Regulatory Environment
In the United States, Roblox faces lawsuits in several states, including Texas and Kentucky, focusing on child safety issues. Meanwhile, the UK’s Online Safety Act mandates strict compliance for tech firms to protect children from online dangers. Anna Lucas from Ofcom emphasized the importance of these new requirements for keeping children safe.
Implementation Timeline
Mandatory age checks will debut in Australia, New Zealand, and the Netherlands by early December 2024, with a global rollout planned for January 2025.
Age Group Chat Restrictions
Once the facial recognition process is completed, users will be classified into age groups:
- Under 9
- 9 to 12
- 13 to 15
- 16 to 17
- 18 to 20
- 21 and older
Players will be able to chat only within their age brackets unless they connect with someone as a “trusted connection,” allowing communication with known contacts. Additionally, users under 13 will still face restrictions on private messaging without parental consent.
Privacy and Data Management
The age estimation technology promises accuracy within a one to two-year range for users between five and 25 years old. Images used for age verification are processed by an external provider and deleted immediately after the check is completed.
Roblox maintains existing protections against image sharing and external site links. The platform aims to offer a safer experience and anticipates that similar measures will be adopted by other gaming companies.
Community Response
In response to these safety initiatives, campaign groups like ParentsTogether Action and UltraViolet are conducting a virtual protest within Roblox. They are advocating for stronger child safety measures, accompanied by a petition signed by over 12,000 individuals, demanding that “Roblox must stop being a playground for predators.”
