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- Roblox has introduced age-based Roblox Kids and Roblox Select accounts
- The new accounts seek to limit communication features for specific age groups
- They also include improved parental controls and other measures
Recent cases of new age verification and online age checks have stirred controversy over the last few months, with concerns about privacy and potential data breaches — but a new development with Roblox is one that many people will likely get behind.
Roblox has announced a global rollout of its new age-based Roblox Kids and Roblox Select accounts, restricting certain functions for children. This also comes with improved parental controls, allowing parents to block or allow their child's access to games.
Roblox Kids accounts (for those aged between 5 and 8) will feature the platform's strongest default protections, with chat disabled and access to a catalog of games that have been passed by Roblox's 'continual selection process'.
As for Roblox Select accounts (for ages between 9 and 15), chat settings will vary based on age and region, with additional safeguards in place to protect users under 16. Also, Roblox highlights that these Kids and Select accounts will evolve as users age, with the account type changing to a standard one at age 16.
These are careful steps Roblox has taken to ensure child safety when playing games or connecting with other users on the platform, specifically stating: "The rollout builds on Roblox’s broader effort to create age-appropriate experiences for younger users."
Notably, the move to force age verification globally for access to communication features has been controversial, particularly as the third-party vendor used for face capture, Persona, was involved in a notable security incident earlier this year.
However, it can be argued that in this case, the controversy differs from the likes of Discord or other platforms, as Roblox is effectively a service that targets children for fun and engaging online game experiences — whereas Discord acts as a platform for communication, mostly used by teens and adults.
As for Roblox's user base, 46% of its users are 17 or older, with the majority of 56% being younger than 17, according to research by Takeaway Reality. If that's anything to go by, then the push for age checks on the platform is arguably justified.
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