Roblox Strengthens Child Safety Measures: Partners with IARC for Age & Content Ratings, Expands Age-Estimation Technology
Online gaming platform Roblox has unveiled plans to strengthen its safety measures, including expanding its age-estimation technology and partnering with the International Age Rating Coalition (IARC). The updates aim to enhance user protection, especially for younger individuals.
By year’s end, the enhanced age-estimation system will be implemented across all Roblox users accessing communication tools such as voice and text-based chat. This involves scanning users’ selfies to analyze facial features and estimate age. The technology will work in conjunction with ID verification processes and parental consent, providing a more reliable measure of a user’s age.
Additionally, Roblox is developing systems to limit interactions between adults and minors on its platform. The company’s partnership with IARC will see the replacement of existing content and maturity labels with globally recognized ratings. For instance, players in the U.S. will see ESRB ratings, while those in Germany will encounter USK ratings, among others.
These changes aim to help parents understand the type of games their children are playing, including factors that may raise concerns such as violence, adult language, and more. The updates follow earlier initiatives introduced by Roblox to better protect younger users.
In July, Roblox rolled out safety features like an age-verification system that analyzes users’ ages via video selfies. This information is used to restrict access to certain platform features for those under 13, including voice and text chat without filters. The company also implemented measures preventing users aged between 13 and 17 from adding strangers to their ‘trusted connections,’ a practice verified through contact imports or QR code scans.
These developments come in response to growing worldwide regulations requiring social platforms to verify users’ ages, such as the U.K.’s Online Safety Act and Mississippi’s age-assurance law. Similar legislation is under consideration in several other states including Arizona, Wyoming, South Dakota, and Virginia.
Roblox has consistently invested in safety features over the years. Its tools include Roblox Sentinel, an open-source AI system designed to detect early signs of child endangerment, and parental controls, communication restrictions, and technology that identifies servers where a high number of users are breaking rules for swift action.
Despite these efforts, concerns regarding child safety persist, as indicated by lawsuits filed in various states. The Guardian recently reported on a study finding that inappropriate content and interactions with bad actors can still be encountered by children on the platform.
Recently, a popular Roblox farming simulator game, Grow a Garden, made headlines due to players illegally trading virtual items for real money, violating the platform’s rules. Parents and others have expressed concern over the game potentially luring in children and encouraging them to spend money to compete with other players.
The changes to the ratings system may not eliminate all negative experiences, but they could provide parents with greater insight into the games their children are playing. Roblox’s Chief Safety Officer Matt Kaufman commented, “Roblox is dedicated to creating a safe platform for users and empowering parents to make informed decisions about their children.”
