By Gavin Boyle
Roblox announced it will expand the reach of its “Kids Accounts,” offering new protections for users younger than 8 and a new selection process for kids under 16.
“We’re introducing two new age-based accounts for younger users on Roblox: Roblox Kids for users ages 5 to 8 and Roblox Select for users ages 9 to 15,” Roblox founder and CEO David Baszucki said in a blog post. “When they roll out in early June, these accounts will more closely align content access, communication settings, and parental controls with a user’s age.”
“This update will bring age-checks, account-level defaults, content ratings, ongoing moderation, and expanded parental controls together into a unified framework for younger users,” he added. “Based on our selection criteria, we believe age-checked users under 16 will have access to the vast majority of their favorite games. Age-checked users 16 and older will not see any change to their Roblox experience.”
Related: Florida Attorney General Mounts Roblox Criminal Investigation
The expansion of the parental control abilities comes after a complete overhaul to the platform’s age rating system last year. Last summer, Roblox introduced stronger parental controls which gave parents a much higher level of access to their children’s accounts.
This overhaul also included an age verification system which allows users to upload a government I.D. to verify their age, or allow the platform to perform an age estimation through facial technology.
“Facial age estimation allows eligible users aged 13 and older to estimate their age and unlock additional features and content on Roblox…” the platform explained when introducing the technology. “We estimate your age by analyzing a selfie of your face and examining your facial features. Your estimated age helps place you in the appropriate age group (under 13, 13+ and 18+) to customize your experience on Roblox. If you are placed in the under 13 age group based on facial age estimation, certain personal data, including your email and phone number, will be removed from Roblox.”
Unfortunately, this overhaul has failed to have the desired results as families continue to complain that children are able to be reached by predators and bad actors. Multiple lawsuits have been launched since the implementation of the new system which claim the platform failed to protect a young user.
Now, some parents are boycotting the platform and banning their children from accessing the site, as they do not want their child to become a victim. While the implementation of this further strengthened parental control system is helpful, parents should remain wary of the site’s ability to protect their kids and keep a close eye on their young gamers, especially if they are Roblox users.
Read Next: How Good Are Roblox’s Child Safety Features?
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