Roblox introduces age-based accounts for appropriate access to games and chat in latest child safety push

Over the past few years, Roblox has come under heavy criticism, facing lawsuits from governments and families around the world alleging that the platform does not do enough to protect children from harmful content and communication with older users. The company's most recent effort was an age verification system aimed at limiting contact between adults and children under 16. Now it is going a step further.

Starting in mid-May, Roblox will age-segment its massive library of games and push users into one of three account types. Users aged 5 to 9 will be assigned a Roblox Kids account. Those aged 9 to 15 will be assigned a Roblox Select account, and anyone 16 and older will receive a standard Roblox account. The same age-check technology used for chat access will now assign users to their respective account type.

3

Each account type aligns with the platform's existing content maturity labels (Minimal, Mild, Moderate, or Restricted). Roblox Kids account holders will have access to games rated Minimal or Mild, with chat turned off by default. The only way a Kids account user can chat with another person is if a parent manually selects approved individuals their child is allowed to communicate with.

Users aged nine to 15 with Roblox Select accounts can chat with others in their age group and with trusted friends who have passed parental approval, and will have access to Moderate content. At 16, users are automatically moved to a Standard Roblox account with all features unlocked. Restricted content, including strong violence, romantic themes, and strong language, remains exclusive to users aged 18 and older.

Parents will also have the option to approve specific games outside their child's default restrictions. Both Roblox Kids and Roblox Select accounts will only include games that have passed Roblox's three-step screening process. Developers must meet eligibility requirements, and those under 16 must complete ID verification and pay $5 a month for Roblox Plus. Roblox will also conduct real-time evaluations of games with users aged 16 and older, in case an experience is mislabeled. Plus, AI moderation will monitor game instances to ensure on-screen content and chat match the assigned maturity label.

3

It is a significant overhaul, and it is clear that Roblox is going all-in on making the platform safer for a user base largely made up of minors. There will likely be workarounds, and the age checks are not foolproof, but Roblox Chief Safety Officer Matt Kaufman acknowledges as much, saying, "If we get it wrong, we offer users multiple ways to correct that." With the new account types set to roll out globally by June, anyone who skips the age check will automatically be placed into a Kids-like experience, with no chat access and only family-friendly games available.