Parents allowed to block children's games and friends on Roblox

Roblox is one of the biggest gaming platforms in the world, attracting more monthly users than both Nintendo Switch and Sony PlayStation combined. In 2024, it was reported that Roblox had an average of over 80 million players each day, with around 40% of those players being children under the age of 13. In response to growing concerns about the safety of young users, Roblox has announced new safety measures that will allow parents to block specific games and experiences that they feel are inappropriate for their children. Additionally, parents will have the ability to block or report their children's friends on the platform, giving them more control over their child's online interactions. These new features will only be available for children under 13 who have parental controls set up on their accounts. This announcement comes after a warning from a representative who advised parents to keep their children off the platform if they were not comfortable with it. Roblox has faced criticism in the past for allowing children to be exposed to explicit or harmful content through its games. However, in a recent interview, Mr Baszucki, the CEO of Roblox, emphasized the company's commitment to user safety, stating that millions of players have positive experiences on the platform. Matt Kaufman, Roblox's Chief Safety Officer, expressed that the new tools and features reflect their mission to create the safest online environment for users. A spokesperson from Ofcom, the UK’s communications regulator, described the new measures as encouraging but noted that tech companies must do more to ensure the safety of children online. In preparation for the interview with Mr Baszucki, the BBC discovered several game titles with concerning names that had been recommended to an 11-year-old user. These titles included games like 'Late Night Boys And Girls Club RP' and 'Shoot down planes…because why not? ' With the new changes, parents can now block such games if they feel uncomfortable with them. Furthermore, parents can manage their children's friend lists more effectively. They can view their child's friends and have the option to block or report individuals, which prevents direct messaging between users. Messaging between children had already been restricted in the past, and now parents will also have access to information about the top games their child has played on Roblox over the past week, including how long they spent on each game. Parents have mixed feelings about these changes. For instance, a mother from Scotland shared her experience of her nine-year-old daughter being groomed on the platform last December. Although she reported the incident to Roblox, she did not receive a response. She welcomed the new announcements as a positive step but believes that Roblox needs to improve its user authentication processes to ensure that users are who they claim to be. Another parent, Amir, expressed concern about his 15-year-old son, who spends up to 14 hours a day on Roblox. While he appreciates the new changes for younger users, he wants the platform to take further action against inappropriate games. On a more positive note, Kathryn Foley and her daughter Helene have had a great experience with Roblox. Kathryn ensures that her daughter avoids games where players can communicate with her or send friend requests. She stated, 'I know I will absolutely be using the game blocking feature, and to see how long my daughter spends on particular games - and also if she is playing games I didn't know she played. ' Another parent, Kirsty Solman, shared how Roblox has positively impacted her 13-year-old son Kyle, who has ADHD, autism, and severe anxiety. She believes that the new features will help parents manage the types of games their children can access. Roblox is also expanding its voice safety AI to help moderate voice chats between players, with this feature now available in seven additional languages. Additionally, Roblox has announced changes to its advertising model to enhance user experience. The BBC has altered some names in this report to protect the identities of young users.