**Roblox Unveils Enhanced Safety Features to Shield Young Users and Empower Parents**

Roblox, the widely-used gaming platform, has introduced a variety of new safety features designed to protect younger players and provide parents with greater oversight of their children’s accounts.

In a [blog post](https://corp.roblox.com/newsroom/2024/11/majorupdates-to-our-safety-systems-and-parental-controls) released on Monday, Roblox revealed that users younger than 13 will no longer have the ability to send direct messages to other players outside of the games or experiences they engage in. This adjustment is part of a comprehensive initiative to reduce direct communication among younger users, responding to concerns raised by advocates for online child safety.

Furthermore, Roblox is implementing a built-in feature that prevents users under 13 from sending direct messages even within games and experiences, though parents can alter this setting if desired. By default, these users will still have the option to send public broadcast messages during gameplay.

Previously, children under 13 had the ability to send direct messages both within games and externally, as well as broadcast messages in-game. Now, their communication is restricted to public broadcasts exclusively. Online safety professionals have consistently warned that direct messaging poses risks related to potential predation for young users.

### Enhanced Parental Controls and Remote Account Management

Roblox is also introducing a feature called “remote management,” enabling parents and guardians to oversee their children’s accounts without needing to log into the child’s personal account. Instead, parents can link their Roblox account with their child’s, providing them with access to a parental control dashboard.

To establish this link, the guardian must confirm their identity with government-issued ID or a credit card. Once verified, they can adjust their child’s settings from their device. The dashboard features options to review and approve game play requests based on content maturity ratings, set screen time limits, and keep track of the child’s friend list.

*Credit: Roblox*

“We believe that these integrated protections are vital to our commitment to making Roblox a safe platform for everyone, by default,” stated Dina Lamdany, Roblox’s senior product manager for user settings and parental controls, during a press conference. Lamdany highlighted that these modifications are part of Roblox’s sustained efforts to enhance safety on the platform.

Roblox collaborated with organizations like the Family Online Safety Institute (FOSI) and the National Association for Media Literacy Education to design these new tools. Stephen Balkam, CEO of FOSI, commended the updates, referring to them as a “significant advancement” in equipping families with means for non-intrusive monitoring and privacy.

### Responding to Concerns Regarding Child Predators on Roblox

In spite of these advancements, Roblox has encountered backlash regarding issues connected to child predation and grooming on the platform. In November 2023, several families initiated a [class-action lawsuit](https://mashable.com/article/roblox-lawsuit-inappropriate-content) against Roblox, claiming the company has endangered underage users by exposing them to inappropriate content and interactions. Roblox has refuted these claims.

Earlier this year, a [Bloomberg Businessweek](https://www.bloomberg.com/features/2024-roblox-pedophile-problem/) investigation revealed ways that predators have taken advantage of the platform to groom minors. While Roblox forbids sexual content and inappropriate conduct, malicious individuals have managed to bypass moderation and filtering systems, occasionally pressuring minors into sharing explicit content.

One particularly troubling case involved a 15-year-old girl who connected with a well-known Roblox developer on the platform in January 2022. Over several months, the developer groomed her, and in May, she ran away to meet him. The 22-year-old man, Arnold Castillo, sexually assaulted her multiple times before law enforcement intervened.

In light of such incidents, Roblox has enacted new safety protocols and established roles focused on investigating child safety and moderating child exploitation content. However, Roblox’s chief safety officer, Matt Kaufman, clarified that the recent safety features were not implemented in reaction to any specific incident. He noted that the company has enacted over 30 safety enhancements in 2024 alone.

*Credit: Roblox*

*Credit: Roblox*

### New Content Ratings and Age Restrictions

The platform is also rolling out content labels that indicate the maturity level of each game, transitioning away from age-based labels. Nevertheless, users under 13 will still encounter age-based restrictions for specific experiences, particularly those featuring behaviors unsuitable for younger audiences.

Additionally, users under 13 will be barred from accessing experiences primarily geared towards socializing with users outside their friends list or those that permit unrestricted writing or drawing. To access the platform’s most mature content, which might contain profanity, users must declare