Roblox announces new measures to protect under-13s from other players
Roblox has detailed some of the new measures it’s taking to protect preteen players.
The company said last month that it planned to do more to protect children in the massively popular online platform, saying it would share more information in November.
That information has now been shared on the Roblox Creator Hub site, listing a number of features that will soon be blocked off from younger players.
According to Roblox, developers who created Roblox experiences have to complete a questionnaire for every experience they want to be playable by under-13s, marking whether it is appropriate for all ages or age 9+.
Creators have until December 3 to fill in the questionnaire for each experience – after this date, experiences that remain unrated will be “unplayable, unsearchable and undiscoverable” by players under 13.
Starting on November 18, a number of interactive features will also be restricted to players aged 13 and older, including “social hangouts” and “free-form user creation”.
Roblox defines ‘social hangouts’ as Roblox experiences where the main purpose is to communicate in text or voice chat with other users.
“This does not include role-playing or real-life simulation experiences where users adopt a different role or are provided with items to role-play with,” it clarifies.
It also defines ‘free-form use creation’ as any features in experiences which let users draw or write in 2D and send those creations unmoderated to other users (such as a chalkboard or spray paint).
“This does not include in-experience user creations assembled with 3D assets that have individually gone through Roblox moderation,” it says.
Addressing developers in its message, the company concluded: “We recognise the deadline is soon, but we greatly appreciate your cooperation in helping us ensure Roblox is a safe and civil place for users of all ages to come together.”
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