Parents can now block their children from communicating with specific friends or playing certain games on Roblox, an online gaming platform popular with children.The changes form part of a suite of safety updates intended to give parents more control over their childs experience on the platform.From Wednesday, parents and caregivers who identify themselves with an ID or credit card will have access to three new tools. The friend management tool means they can block anyone on their childs friends list, preventing their child from exchanging direct messages with that account, and report people they believe are violating Roblox policies.They can also review and change the content maturity level for their childs account, determining which games their child can access, and obtain detailed screen-time insights.Under the Online Safety Act, which came into force this year, tech companies must tackle harmful content on their platforms or face fines of up to 18m or 10% of global revenue.There have been reports of bullying and grooming on Roblox and fears that children are being exposed to explicit or harmful content on the site, which is the most popular platform in the UK among gamers aged eight to 12.Robloxs chief safety officer, Matt Kaufman, said safety was at the companys core and its mission was to be the safest and most civil online platform in the world.The US-based company is one of the worlds largest games platforms, with more monthly users than Nintendo Switch and Sony PlayStation combined. In 2024, the site averaged more than 80 million players a day, and roughly 40% of those were under 13.Roblox introduced 40 safety updates last year, including preventing users under 13 from sending direct messages. Roblox has also updated its voice safety technology, which uses a machine-learning model to moderate chat between players more accurately than human moderators.Andy Burrows, the chief executive of the Molly Rose Foundation, said he welcomed the safety improvements but that Roblox still needs to get to grips with substantial problems with harmful and age-inappropriate content.He added: Extensive research has shown Roblox is awash with age-inappropriate games and communities, including depression rooms that can compound misery and offer no support to vulnerable children.skip past newsletter promotionSign up to Pushing ButtonsFree weekly newsletterKeza MacDonald's weekly look at the world of gamingPrivacy Notice: Newsletters may contain info about charities, online ads, and content funded by outside parties. For more information see our Privacy Policy. We use Google reCaptcha to protect our website and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.after newsletter promotionThis content raises fundamental questions about Robloxs broader commitment to safety and shows it cannot just rely on parental controls but must take decisive action to make the platform safe for its young users.Last month, Robloxs co-founder and chief executive, David Baszucki, said the platform was vigilant in protecting its users and that tens of millions of people had amazing experiences on the site.He added: My first message would be: if youre not comfortable, dont let your kids be on Roblox. That sounds a little counterintuitive, but I would always trust parents to make their own decisions.