Roblox restricts kids under 13 from chatting outside games, enhancing safety.

Roblox Restricts Kids Under 13 from Chatting Outside Games

Roblox is implementing new safety features to better protect its young users. A key change, starting Monday, prevents users under 13 from direct messaging (DM) players outside of games. In-game DMs will also require parental permission, a feature fully rolling out by Q1 2025.

Addressing Child Safety Concerns

These updates follow reports highlighting Roblox’s shortcomings in child protection. A Bloomberg article detailed how predators exploit chat features to contact children. The new chat restrictions complement existing automatic filters designed to block the sharing of personal information.

Additional Safety Measures

• Parent accounts: Roblox is introducing parent accounts allowing remote management of a child’s screen time and other settings, eliminating the need for physical access to the child’s account.
• Content labels: Instead of age ratings, Roblox is using content labels (minimal, mild, moderate) to categorize experiences. Users under 9 need parental permission for anything beyond minimal/mild content.
• Restricted access: Users under 13 will be blocked from accessing social hangout spaces and experiences with free-form writing or drawing.

These combined changes represent a significant step by Roblox to enhance the safety and security of its platform for younger users.