Roblox adds safety measures to ban children under 13 from social areas and other experiences

Over the years, A lot reports They accused Roblox, the popular gaming platform aimed at pre-teens, of lacking strict safety protocols for children; This exposes them to dangers such as grooming, sexually explicit content, and violent or abusive material.

With a major update to its security policy, Roblox plans to keep users under the age of 13 away from unrated experiences. It will also block access to social Hangouts and experiences that use free-form 2D user rendering, both of which pose risks because they include options to chat with other players who may use inappropriate language, as well as interactive experiences where users can draw pictures. or type in-game.

platform noted A post to creators on Wednesday said that by default, children 12 and under will no longer be able to “play, search, and explore unrated experiences.” Roblox also requires creators who want their experiences to be made available to children under 13 to fill out a survey. Creators should ensure their experience meets the “All Ages” or “9+” recommendations, particularly those that “may contain mild violence.” , heavy unrealistic gore and/or mild crude humor” According to the support page. However, gambling content is not available for children under 13 years of age.

Roblox says it will enforce these requirements starting next year. Creators must fill out the form by December 3. The survey is located under the Creations tab in the Creator Hub. Then select “Select an Experience” and “Audience.”

Additionally, users under 13 are prohibited from participating in social gatherings; This is likely a response to ongoing concerns about security at these experiences, which have been criticized for having significant oversight issues. Agreeing, one creator on the forum commented: “It’s a bit sad, but considering the amount of issues with some of these (social gathering) games, I totally understand it.”

Younger users also don’t have access to experiences that include free-form 2D user creation; This allows players to copy other users’ artwork without going through Roblox moderation. This will come into force from 18 November.

Roblox also listed experiences suitable for this age group. These include role-playing experiences where players can take on various roles, such as a teacher, police officer, or race car driver, or interact with items. Experiences containing 3D assets approved by Roblox moderation are also permitted; so young kids can continue building houses with blocks, designing clothes, and short-form videos.

New security initiatives come on the platform’s heels introduction Changes that require users under 13 to obtain parental consent to access certain chat functions. Meanwhile, players under the age of 9 need parental approval to play experiences marked with the moderate content label.

Roblox is also currently testing a age verification feature This verifies users over the age of 13 with a government-issued photo ID.