On one of the most popular gaming platforms, Roblox, children will no longer be allowed to communicate with adult strangers.
On one of the most popular gaming platforms, Roblox, children will no longer be allowed to communicate with adult strangers.
According to the BBC, such measures were taken as part of expanding security on the platform.
Age verification will now be required for accounts using chat features. Starting in December, these innovations will be introduced in Australia, New Zealand, and the Netherlands, and in January, in the rest of the world.
The publication recalls that Roblox has faced criticism for allowing children to access inappropriate content and communicate with adults. In particular, the platform has been sued over child safety concerns in several US states.
Interestingly, the introduction of these innovations on Roblox occurred just before the ban on social networks in Australia for persons under the age of 16, as the government of this country is under pressure to include gaming platforms in the list of resources subject to restrictions.
In March, Roblox CEO David Bashutsky told the BBC that parents who are concerned about the service’s safety «should not allow their children to use it.»
In 2024, the platform had an audience of over 80 million players on average daily, about 40% of whom were under 13 years old.
In the US, Roblox has faced lawsuits in Texas, Kentucky and Louisiana over child safety concerns, and now Roblox says it will become the first major gaming platform to require age verification using facial recognition to access chat features.
Matt Kaufman, Roblox’s chief security officer, said in a briefing that the age-assessment technology is «pretty accurate.»
Users who complete the identification process will be divided into age groups: under nine, 9 to 12, 13 to 15, 16 to 17, 18 to 20, and 21+. Players will only be able to chat with others of a similar age, unless they add someone they know personally.
Children under 13 will be blocked from private messages and certain chats unless their parents give permission.
As dev.ua previously wrote, third-party services have turned Roblox into a casino for minors and are earning over $70 million a year from it. So a lawsuit was filed against the developers.
