Video game maker Roblox has taken a significant step in safeguarding its young user base. These new parental tools aim to address concerns and provide parents with more control over their children's Roblox experience. The platform, which boasts around 89 million users, is committed to ensuring the safety of its youngest players.

Roblox's Parental Tools - A Game Changer for Young Users

Protecting Under-13 Users

Roblox has announced the removal of the ability for those under 13 to message others outside games on its platform. This is a crucial step in preventing potential interactions with unknown adults. However, users younger than 13 can still directly message others in-game with parental consent. This balance ensures that while some communication is allowed within the game environment, strict measures are in place to protect younger users.Parents can now remotely manage their child's Roblox account, view friend lists, set spending controls, and manage screen time. These features give parents greater oversight and allow them to tailor the gaming experience to their child's needs. The company conducted multiple rounds of internal research, including interviews, usability studies, and international surveys with parents and kids, as well as consultations with experts from child safety and media literacy organizations. This comprehensive approach ensures that the new tools are effective and meet the needs of both parents and children.

New Parental Control Features

Prior to Monday's update, parental controls were managed through the child's account. Now, parents can link their account to their child's and use remote management to adjust parental controls and view their child's activity on the platform even if they are physically apart. This is a game-changer for parents who want to stay involved in their child's gaming life.Parents will have to verify their account with an ID or a credit card before being allowed to link it to their child's. This adds an extra layer of security and ensures that only authorized parents can access and manage their child's account. They will be able to see their child's average screen time and set daily screen time limits, helping to regulate the amount of time their child spends on the platform.The company has also introduced a built-in setting that will let users under the age of 13 access public broadcast messages only through games or experiences. This prevents younger users from being exposed to inappropriate content outside of game-related contexts.Roblox will replace age-based content labels with descriptors ranging from "Minimal" to "Restricted," indicating the type of content users can expect. By default, users under nine can only access games labelled "Minimal" or "Mild." These new restrictions will prevent users under 13 from searching, discovering, or playing unlabelled experiences, further reducing the risk of exposure to inappropriate content.Restricted content will remain inaccessible until a user is at least 17 years old and has verified their age. This ensures that only older and more mature users have access to more mature content.

The Changing User Base

When Roblox was launched, teens made up its primary user base. But over time, the user base has grown younger and younger as its popularity grows and more kids want to be part of it. Kids as young as five, six, and seven are now playing on Roblox, allowing them to create games and play games that others have built. As such, putting "guardrails" on what younger kids can access is essential to keep them safe.Toy analyst Chris Byrne, president of Burn Communications, emphasizes the importance of these measures. "As things become widely adopted, they tend to drop in age," he says. "So there's more and more kids who want to be involved in Roblox... making sure that those kids are protected is really essential."

Parents' Active Role

"This is a good thing," says Carmi Levy, a tech expert from London, Ont. The updates are a positive step in protecting children. However, parents still need to play an active role in using the tools. It's important for parents not to assume that the announcement of new tools means the situation is taken care of.Fostering an environment where kids can explore safely and share concerns with their parents is crucial. Levy, who is a parent himself, shares his experience. "He was allowed to use it independently... but he knew full well that if he encountered anything that was problematic on the platform, he could always come to us and we wouldn't judge him, we wouldn't question him, we wouldn't punish him."Levy believes that having an open policy is the key. If parents try to limit a child's use of technology, they may go underground. By allowing open communication and trust, parents can better protect their children in the online world.While some of the updates, such as remote management and content labels, are being implemented Monday, the company clarified that some of the updates announced Monday will not be fully implemented until the first quarter of 2025. This gives the company time to ensure a smooth transition and make any necessary adjustments.In conclusion, Roblox's new parental tools are a significant step forward in protecting young users. With these measures in place, parents can have more confidence in allowing their children to enjoy the Roblox experience while still ensuring their safety.