Roblox, a popular gaming platform for children, has unveiled new measures to enhance safety for its younger users. Starting this week, children under 13 will be blocked from sending direct messages unless their parent or guardian grants permission through verified parental controls. These updates will be fully rolled out by March 2025.
Roblox, used daily by 88 million players, has faced calls to improve child safety. Parents can now oversee their child’s account, monitor friend lists, and set daily playtime limits. Public chats will still be accessible for in-game communication, but private messaging will require parental approval.
To access the parental controls, adults must verify their identity using government-issued ID or a credit card. Roblox’s Chief Safety Officer, Matt Kaufman, said, “Our goal is to keep all users safe, no matter their age.” He urged parents to ensure accurate ages on accounts to help enforce the new safeguards.
The platform also introduced a content labelling system to replace age-based recommendations. Labels range from “minimal” to “restricted,” with under-9s defaulted to access only minimal or mild experiences. Parental consent can unlock more mature games, but “restricted” content remains off-limits until age 17 with verified ID.
