Roblox Blocks Under-13 Messaging, Adds Parental Controls; In-Game Chat Requires Permission in 2025

Nov 18, 2024, 01:49 PM

Roblox Corp., the popular online gaming platform, announced significant updates to its safety systems and parental controls aimed at protecting users under the age of 13. Effective immediately, under-13 users can no longer send direct messages to others outside of in-game experiences, restricting their communication to in-game interactions only. The company is introducing new parental control features that allow parents to link their accounts with their child's, manage screen time, set spending limits, control communication settings, and choose appropriate content maturity levels from their own devices. Underage users are automatically barred from accessing moderate content. Starting in early 2025, users under 13 will require parental permission to chat even within games. Roblox's Chief Safety Officer, Matt Kaufman, stated that "these updates should provide parents greater clarity to make informed decisions about what is appropriate for their child."