Roblox introduces separate accounts for children and teens based on age

Users aged 9 to 15 will be moved to Roblox Select, where chat features will be gradually expanded and games will be at a moderate maturity level. The changes come as part of a series of measures to tighten security on the platform, which has more than 151 million daily active users. The reason was growing pressure on the company due to accusations of insufficient protection of children from inappropriate content and possible abuse.

At least seven states have filed lawsuits against Roblox, and investigations are ongoing in other regions. In addition, dozens of separate cases were consolidated into one large proceeding in federal court for the Northern District of California. The lawsuits allege incidents in which children were allegedly targeted by abusers on the platform, including situations with serious consequences.

The new account system builds on the age verification technology introduced earlier: to access chat, users must undergo biometric verification, which determines their age and limits communication to a circle of approximately equal age. However, after its launch, the system attracted criticism, with users complaining about errors in age determination and finding ways to bypass the verification. The company said that it will periodically recheck the data if fraud is suspected and improve the algorithms.

Before launching new account types, Roblox also clarified that a user’s age can be determined either through a linked parent account or using its own verification tools. After reaching 16 years of age, the account automatically becomes a standard one, with access to all functions.

The company emphasized that the new system combines age verification, default settings, age content ratings, ongoing moderation and advanced parental control tools.

Parental controls, introduced in 2024, allow parents to restrict access to games and users, manage chats, and set time and spending limits. At the same time, children under 13 years of age are denied access to personal messages by default, and those under 9 years of age are not allowed to access game chats. Now the company plans to further expand parents’ ability to control these settings. Roblox also said it would regularly review games that are accessible to minors using developer input, complaint analysis, and an age rating system.