Recent reports, such as Bloomberg's "Roblox's Pedophile Problem," raised concerns about child safety on the forum.
To address concerns, Roblox announced the implementation of new child safety guidelines on its developer forum.
Beginning November 2024, those under the age of 13 are prohibited from accessing Roblox's "social hangouts" and "free-form user creation" features.
Social hangouts include virtual clubs and chat rooms. Free-form user creation allows users to share their creations with other users "without moderation."
And, as of December 03, 2024, Roblox users under the age of 13 are no longer allowed to play, search, or discover unrated experiences.
Creators were required to complete a questionnaire before December 03 if they wanted their experience to be available to users under the age of 13. Creators must make sure all aspects of their game, including the name, image, and description, are suitable for younger users. Ishan Adhikary "Roblox Bans Kids from Social Hangouts; Intros Others [sic] Child Safety Changes" beebom.com (Nov. 07, 2024).
Commentary
The number of children worldwide using Roblox has continued to grow since 2019. During the third quarter of 2024, Roblox had more than 34 million daily active users under the age of 13. "Daily active users (DAU) of Roblox games worldwide from 4th quarter 2019 to 3rd quarter 2024, by age group" proxy.parisjc.edu.
According to Internet Matters, a nonprofit working to protect children online, Roblox is an online game creator system in which amateurs create content that can be played by children worldwide. Because the content on Roblox is user-generated, it is not subject to "the same rigorous age ratings as content made by commercial companies."
If children use Roblox, it is essential that the safe adults in their lives make sure their age is entered correctly into the platform so the appropriate safety features are triggered. Andy Robertson "Parent guide to Roblox and how your kids can play it safely" www.internetmatters.org (Jul. 20, 2023); "The Roblox Dilemma: Can You Keep Your Kids Safe In The Metaverse? https://www.sciencealert.com/the-roblox-dilemma-can-you-keep-your-kids-safe-in-the-metaverse (Jan. 23, 2024).
