Popular online gaming platform Roblox has announced new measures to combat online predators following reports the popular social gaming platform was being used to groom children.
Founder and chief executive David Baszucki on Monday said Roblox was introducing two new age-based accounts in June.
Children aged five to eight will be limited to Roblox Kids, while those aged nine to 15 use Roblox Select.
Mr Baszucki said the new age-based accounts are designed to “more closely align content access, communication settings, and parental controls with a user’s age”.
“We’re also establishing an ongoing selection process for games available to users under 16,” he said.
A user’s age will be determined by Roblox’s “global age-check technology” or by a verified parent.
Roblox Kids will not have a chat function, while Select will gradually introduce chat with safeguards.
Users’ account settings will automatically progress as they age.
Expanded parental features will include parents being able to block specific games and manage direct chat settings for under 15s.
“Users who haven’t yet completed an age-check will be limited to games rated Minimal or Mild, and all communication will be unavailable,” Roblox said in a statement.
Roblox, which escaped the federal government’s social media ban for under 16s, was put under heavy scrutiny by Communications Minister Anika Wells, who issued a letter in February expressing concerns over reports of children being exposed to “gratuitous content”.
“The safety of children online is non-negotiable,” Ms Wells said.
“The reports we’ve been hearing about children being exposed to graphic content on Roblox, and predators actively using the platform to groom young people, are horrendous.
“Something must be done – now.”
Ms Wells sought advice from the eSafety commissioner on what tools can be used to mitigate issues on the platform.
She also discussed with the Classification Board if Roblox’s PG rating, which was passed down in 2018, was still appropriate for the platform.
