Roblox, one of the most popular gaming platforms among children and teenagers, announced significant changes to its security policies. The measure was taken after reports about the lack of adequate protection for minors. The company is now investing in more robust parental control tools and security measures, with the aim of creating a safer virtual environment for young users.
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Roblox Corporation, in a statement, said it is committed to strengthening protections for its youngest players. Among the updates are new features for parents to monitor and control access to content, as well as chat restrictions for children under 13. “The updates are part of Roblox's commitment to being one of the safest platforms for our users, especially younger ones” , highlighted Juliet Chaitin-Lefcourt, company spokesperson.
Increase in incidents of child abuse on Roblox
In recent years, Roblox has faced serious accusations about the safety of minors using the platform. A Bloomberg report revealed that since 2018, at least 24 people in the United States have been arrested for crimes such as kidnapping and sexual abuse of minors, which occurred after initial contact made within the game. These cases have brought to light the vulnerability of younger users and the need for immediate action by Roblox Corporation.
According to the report, Roblox Corporation reported to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) nearly 3,000 incidents of child exploitation in 2022. This number jumped to over 13,000 in 2023, showing an alarming growth in occurrences within the platform.
To mitigate risks, Roblox Corporation has implemented new rules that require parental approval for children under the age of 13 to use certain chat features. Children under the age of nine will also need permission to access content classified as moderate, which may include mild violence or inappropriate humor.
In addition, the company announced the creation of special accounts for parents, who will be able to link their own accounts to their children's. This way, those responsible will have greater control over young people's activities on Roblox, being able to check game time, their friends list and even adjust parental controls in a more practical way.
The controversy surrounding the blocking of Roblox in Türkiye
The stricter measures adopted by the platform also come at a time of global scrutiny. In August of this year, Turkey blocked access to Roblox throughout its territory. The Turkish government justified the decision by stating that the action was necessary to protect the country's children against potential risks on the platform.
Although Roblox has implemented several measures to combat the problem of child abuse, criticism continues. Recently, Hindenburg Research released a financial bulletin accusing the platform of allowing inappropriate content to circulate. Thus, the report went so far as to classify the game as “an X-rated pedophile hell”, generating great concern among users and their guardians.
Future perspectives for the platform
Roblox Corporation promises to continue to improve security tools and expand its efforts to ensure a more protected virtual environment. The expectation is that, next month, the company will release more details about the updates and security strategies. Despite criticism and challenges, the platform seeks to position itself as a safe entertainment space for children and teenagers. Furthermore, the developer hopes to count on the support of parents to make this a reality.
With these changes, Roblox hopes to restore trust with users and families, who have recently expressed concerns about digital security. The company understands that, in addition to being one of the most popular gaming platforms, it must guarantee the integrity and well-being of its players.
