Roblox Restricts Messaging and Tightens Parental Controls

Roblox is implementing sweeping changes to its safety infrastructure, starting with a ban on direct messaging for users under 13 outside of specific game environments. The platform confirmed the updates on Friday, marking a significant shift in how younger players interact on the site.

These adjustments arrive following increased public and media scrutiny regarding how the platform handles child safety and protects minors from potential predators. The company is now rolling out a suite of tools designed to grant guardians greater oversight and automated protection.

New Restrictions on Interaction and Content

While in-game chat will remain accessible because the company views it as vital to the gaming experience, children under 13 will no longer have the ability to send messages to other users outside of these game environments. Furthermore, Roblox is implementing age-gating for specific experiences that allow for free-form creation, such as drawing or writing, which the company deems more appropriate for teens and older users.

“The reason that we’ve made this decision is that we’ve seen that some of both the content and the conduct in these experiences is more appropriate for older users and teens,” said Dina Lamdany, Roblox’s product lead for user settings and parental controls.

Remote Parental Management

Previously, parental controls were restricted to the child’s own account. The new update allows parents to link their accounts to their child’s through a verification process involving a credit card or ID, enabling them to:

• Monitor screen time and set daily usage limits.
• View the child’s Friend list.
• Adjust settings remotely from their own devices.

Simplified Content Maturity Labels

Roblox is also moving away from complex age labeling, replacing it with simplified maturity descriptions:

• Minimal: Occasional mild violence, light unrealistic blood, or mild fear.
• Mild: Repeated mild violence, heavy unrealistic blood, crude humor, and repeated mild fear.
• Moderate: Moderate violence, light realistic blood, moderate crude humor, unplayable gambling, and moderate fear.
• Restricted: Strong violence, heavy realistic blood, romantic themes, alcohol presence, and strong language.

Users under nine are defaulted to “Minimal” or “Mild” content, with “Moderate” access requiring parental approval. Furthermore, the platform will now automatically adjust restrictions as a child ages, with a 30-day notification period provided to parents before any changes to account settings occur.

“We really aim to be safe by default for users of all ages, and our policies and features will continue to adapt in service of that goal,” Lamdany added. The rollout of these features is expected to be completed for all users within the week.