- Roblox has introduced age-based Roblox Kids and Roblox Select accounts
- The new accounts seek to limit communication features for certain age groups
- They also include improved parental controls and other measures
Recent cases of new age verification and online age checks have sparked controversy over the past few months with privacy concerns and potential data breaches – but a new development with Roblox is one that many people are likely to get behind.
Roblox has announced a global rollout of its new age-based Roblox Kids and Roblox Select accounts, which restrict certain features for children. This also comes with improved parental controls that allow parents to block or allow their child’s access to games.
Roblox Kids accounts (for those aged between 5 and 8) will have the platform’s strongest standard protections, with chat disabled and access to a catalog of games that have passed Roblox’s ‘continuous selection process’.
As for Roblox Select accounts (for ages 9 to 15), chat settings will vary based on age and region, with additional safeguards in place to protect users under 16. Roblox also highlights that these Kids and Select accounts will evolve as users age, with the account type changing to a default at 16.
These are careful steps Roblox has taken to ensure children’s safety when playing games or connecting with other users on the platform, specifically stating, “The development builds on Roblox’s broader efforts to create age-appropriate experiences for younger users.”
In particular, the move to force age verification globally for access to communication features has been controversial, especially since the third-party vendor used for facial capture, Persona, was involved in a notable security incident earlier this year.
However, it can be argued that the controversy in this case differs from the likes of Discord or other platforms, as Roblox is effectively a service aimed at children for fun and engaging online gaming experiences – whereas Discord serves as a platform for communication, mostly used by teenagers and adults.
As for Roblox’s user base, 46% of its users are 17 years of age or older, with the majority of 56% being younger than 17, according to research by Takeaway Reality. If this is anything to go by, then the push for age control on the platform is undoubtedly justified.
Follow TechRadar on Google News and add us as a preferred source to get our expert news, reviews and opinions in your feeds.
