Roblox, one of the most popular video games among children and teens, has implemented new safety measures to protect younger users under the age of 13.
That’s great news, but feel free to join me in a chorus of “It’s about time!”
Three specific changes are being implemented:
- Social Hangouts and Free-form User Creation have been restricted to users ages 13+.
- Users under the age of 13 can no longer play, search, or discover unrated experiences.
- All public information (thumbnail, title, description, etc) available on the game page must be rated All Ages or 9+. “We will begin enforcing this in 2025.”
These restrictions only work if Roblox game experiences are properly tagged and rated. As of Dec. 3, all creators must complete a questionnaire for any game experience available for users under 13. And, as per change #3, must ensure their public-facing game page features appropriate content.
“This will ensure that parents and users have more clarity into the types of content available on Roblox, and will help them make more informed choices about what they want to play.”
Note that although unrated games will be unplayable and unsearchable, users under 13 could still access the game page with a direct link (basically the same thing as an unlisted video on YouTube). See full details of the changes at the Roblox forums.
Roblox is available on PC, PlayStation, Xbox and mobile platforms.
