Roblox beefs up security and parental controls

Roblox, the popular platform for creating and playing custom games, has announced sweeping updates to improve security and parental controls. The changes were implemented amid criticism of the platform and growing attention to child protection in the online environment.

Roblox has announced the changes.

Main Updates

1. Simplified parental controls
   • Parents can now customize security settings through their devices, not their children’s devices.
   • Push notifications have been introduced to inform parents when a child requests access to content with a higher maturity rating.
   • The new functionality allows:
     • Control screen time.
     • Set daily usage limits for the app.
     • Automatically block access to Roblox once the limit is reached.
2. Change in age rating system
   • Experiential recommendations previously based on age ratings will be replaced with Content Labels.
   • The new approach focuses on content type rather than age restrictions, helping parents more accurately assess what is appropriate for their children.
3. Reinforcing restrictions for children under 13
   • Personal messages:
     • Users under the age of 13 will no longer be able to send private messages outside of certain games or experiences.
     • Parental consent will be required to send messages.
   • Shared access:
     • Children will still be able to read public messages in games.

Change Context

The measures are in response to:

• Critical feedback about weak child protection on the platform.
• General industry trend toward stronger security for young users.

Reaction and Impact

These changes are positively received by many users and experts:

• Improved transparency for parents: The new interface and notifications make it easier to monitor children’s activity.
• Improved child protection: Restricting private messages minimizes the risk of unwanted communication.
• Reducing screen time: The ability to set limits helps avoid overuse.

There are still challenges:

• Privacy issues: Increased parental control can be perceived by children as intrusive.
• Incomplete protection: Some experts point out that restrictions on communication may not be enough to prevent all possible risks.

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Closure

Roblox is taking a significant step toward creating a safe and comfortable environment for children. Implementing updates to parental controls and limiting communication for younger users shows that the company is taking criticism seriously and working to improve.

With the platform’s growing popularity among children, these changes could become an important standard for other online services.