Roblox launches accounts for kids and teens globally
The gaming platform Roblox rolled out Kids and Select accounts globally, the company said in a blog post Tuesday.
The account types, which Roblox previously launched in Australia, Indonesia, the Netherlands, and New Zealand, provide parents with a range of content protections depending on a user's age.
What are Roblox Kids and Select accounts?
Kids accounts are designed for five to eight-year-olds while Select accounts are for users ages nine to 15.
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The platform's youngest users can only access games that Roblox has labeled as "minimal" or "mild" for their maturity, and they cannot chat by default.
Select accounts can play games rated up to moderate, which may include some violence, crude humor, and fear, as well as "light realistic blood" and "unplayable" gambling content. The chat settings for these accounts vary based on the user's age and region.
Roblox automatically places users into a specific account type based on the age-check process. Users are then automatically moved into new accounts as they grow older. Once a teen turns 16, based on Roblox's understanding of their age, they're able to access a standard Roblox account. In January, Roblox began requiring users to verify their age to unlock chat features.
"With Roblox Kids and Roblox Select, we're creating age-based protections designed to support younger users at different stages, while giving parents tools to personalize the experience for their family," Matt Kaufman, chief safety officer at Roblox, said in the company's announcement.
In addition to its existing parental controls, Roblox is expanding game blocking and chat management features to parents of teens as old as 15. Parents will also be able to approve specific games not included in their child's default account settings.
Why is Roblox being investigated and sued?
The expected development comes as Roblox remains under intense legal pressure and scrutiny. Roblox faces more than 160 cases filed by plaintiffs who say they were sexually exploited as children as a result of the platform's inadequate child safety practices. Roblox, along with the messaging platform Discord, recently requested that those claims be moved out of court into closed-door arbitration, according to Bloomberg.
In April, Roblox paid $23 million to Alabama and West Virginia to settle investigations into the company's handling of child safety. West Virginia's investigation gathered evidence that young Roblox users had been exposed to sexual and violent content, grooming, and predators, according to Reuters.
Last month, child safety organizations accused Roblox of violating Federal Trade Commission regulations that prohibit false advertising, unfair conduct, and deceptive practices, and called for an investigation into Roblox. The company disputed those claims in a statement to Mashable.
Topics Social Good Family & Parenting
Rebecca Ruiz is a Senior Reporter at Mashable. She frequently covers mental health, digital culture, and technology. Her areas of expertise include suicide prevention, screen use and mental health, parenting, youth well-being, and meditation and mindfulness. Rebecca's experience prior to Mashable includes working as a staff writer, reporter, and editor at NBC News Digital and as a staff writer at Forbes. Rebecca has a B.A. from Sarah Lawrence College and a masters degree from U.C. Berkeley's Graduate School of Journalism.
