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Roblox adds more parental controls to its revamped child safety procedures
Justin Carter, Contributing EditorNovember 18, 20242 Min ReadImage via Roblox Corp.At a GlanceRoblox Corp. has implemented even more options to address its platform's child safety concerns.New child safety protocols have come to Roblox, and parents now have greater insight into what their kids are doing on the creation platform.As part of the new reforms, parents can access parental control features from their own devices, rather than needing their child's to do it. They can now link their accounts to their child's, which lets them see their child's friends list and playtime and establish limits on screentime, in-game content, and how much real-world money is spent on Roblox.These features were first reported by Bloomberg in October, and have been deemed "a considerable leap forward" by Family Online Safety Institute (FOSI) CEO Stephen Balkam. "By offering robust tools for non-intrusive monitoring and privacy, Roblox is providing families with the confidence they need to foster a secure and enriching online environment," he said in a statement.Roblox's new safety measures in contextRoblox Corp.'s new safety rules come after numerous reports concerning the lack of real protections for its younger players. Part of how it's addressing those concerns is by requiring content creators to answer a questionnaire that will provide age-appropriate summaries and images for their experiences targeted toward players aged 13 and under.In addition, Roblox Corp. will now only permit players aged 13 and younger to publicly broadcast messages within a Roblox game or experience. By default, players within that age bracket will no longer able to directly message others, although that setting can be tweaked by parents.Certain experiences will also be age-gated: players aged 9 or under will only be able to access "Minimal" or "Mild"-rated content by default. Unlocking "Moderate" content will require parental permission.MichelleLipkin, executive director of the National Association for Media Literacy Education (NAMLE) said the new options and parental controls address "the need to improve safety features for kids and empower parents with the tools they need to help their kids navigate the complex media ecosystem."Read more about:RobloxTop StoriesAbout the AuthorJustin CarterContributing Editor, GameDeveloper.comA Kansas City, MO native, Justin Carter has written for numerous sites including IGN, Polygon, and SyFy Wire. In addition to Game Developer, his writing can be found at io9 over on Gizmodo. Don't ask him about how much gum he's had, because the answer will be more than he's willing to admit.See more from Justin CarterDaily news, dev blogs, and stories from Game Developer straight to your inboxStay UpdatedYou May Also Like
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