Roblox announces new safety features for parents and kids

[Craig Nigrelli]

PARENTS ARE GETTING more CONTROL OVER HOW THEIR CHILDREN EXPLORE THE WORLD OF ROBLOX – THE IMMERSIVE GAMING PLATFORM THAT HAS OVER 68 MILLION AVERAGE DAILY USERS.

CHIEF SAFETY OFFICER MATT KAUFMAN ANNOUNCED IN A BLOG POST ON THE COMPANY’S WEBSITE MONDAY MAJOR UPDATES TO ROBLOX’S SAFETY SYSTEMS AND PARENTAL CONTROLS.

KAUFMAN SAID THE CHANGES WERE DEVELOPED AFTER MULTIPLE ROUNDS OF INTERNAL RESEARCH INCLUDING INTERVIEWS, STUDIES, AND INTERNATIONAL SURVEYS WITH PARENTS AND KIDS — AND CONSULTATIONS WITH CHILD SAFETY EXPERTS AND MEDIA LITERACY GROUPS.

ROBLOX IS NOW ALLOWING PARENTS TO LINK THEIR ACCOUNTS TO THEIR CHILD’S – GIVING PARENTS THE ABILITY TO MANAGE THEIR CHILD’S EXPERIENCES

AND PARENTS WILL ALSO BE ABLE TO VIEW THEIR CHILD’S FRIENDS LIST AND SCREEN TIME.

ROBLOX IS ALSO MAKING BIG CHANGES WHEN IT COMES TO ITS YOUNGEST USERS –  CHILDREN UNDER THE AGE OF 13 – WHO ACCOUNT FOR 42 PERCENT OF THE PLATFORM’S USER BASE.

KIDS WHO FALL UNDER THAT AGE GROUP WILL NO LONGER BE ABLE TO DIRECTLY MESSAGE  OTHERS OUTSIDE OF GAMES UNLESS AUTHORIZED BY A PARENT.

AND ROBLOX IS LAUNCHING CONTENT LABELS – TO QUOTE “GIVE PARENTS GREATER CLARITY  TO MAKE INFORMED DECISIONS ABOUT WHAT IS APPROPRIATE FOR THEIR CHILD.”

THE LABELS RANGE FROM “MINIMAL” – MEANING THE EXPERIENCE MAY CONTAIN OCCASIONAL MILD VIOLENCE —  TO “RESTRICTED” —WHEN THE EXPERIENCE COULD CONTAIN STRONG VIOLENCE AND MODERATE CRUDE HUMOR.

CHILDREN UNDER 9 WILL ONLY BE ABLE TO ACCESS “MINIMAL” OR “MILD” CONTENT BY DEFAULT.

THE CHANGES COME AS ROBLOX FACED SHARP CRITICISM LAST MONTH OVER ITS SAFETY FEATURES BY HINDENBURG RESEARCH.

AS STRAIGHT ARROW NEWS’ SIMONE DEL ROSARIO REPORTED – THE PROMINENT SHORT SELLER CALLED THE PLATFORM QUOTE “AN X-RATED PEDOPHILE HELLSCAPE, EXPOSING CHILDREN TO GROOMING, PORNOGRAPHY, VIOLENT CONTENT AND EXTREMELY ABUSIVE SPEECH.”

ROBLOX REPLIED SAYING IN PART IT REJECTED THE CLAIMS MADE IN THE HINDENBURG REPORT AND THAT “SAFETY AND CIVILITY HAVE BEEN FOUNDATIONAL TO ROBLOX SINCE THE COMPANY’S INCEPTION NEARLY TWO DECADES AGO.”

KAUFMAN CONCLUDED IN HIS BLOG POST ABOUT THE PARENTAL CONTROLS UPDATES BT SAYING QUOTE “WHILE THERE IS NO “PERFECT” WHEN IT COMES TO ONLINE SAFETY, OUR OVERALL APPROACH IS SYSTEMATIC AND THOUGHTFUL…

OUR GOAL IS TO MAKE ROBLOX THE SAFEST AND MOST CIVIL ONLINE PLATFORM POSSIBLE BECAUSE IT IS THE RIGHT THING FOR CHILDREN, THEIR PARENTS AND CAREGIVERS, OUR INVESTORS, AND OUR COMPANY.”

KAUFMAN SAID MANY OF THE UPDATES ARE LAUNCHING MONDAY – WHILE OTHERS WILL BE IMPLEMENTED BY EARLY 2025.

FOR STRAIGHT ARROW NEWS, I’M CRAIG NIGRELLI.

YOU CAN READ MORE ABOUT ROBLOX AND CONCERNS OVER THE PLATFORM’S SAFETY FEATURES ON THE STRAIGHT ARROW NEWS APP – JUST SEARCH ROBLOX.