Roblox's predator problem: Why developers had to age-restrict access to social hubs
Roblox is introducing major changes to improve safety and content accessibility for younger users. These updates will come into effect between late November 2024 and 2025. After numerous reports concerning inadequate moderation and safety measures for minors on the platform, Roblox is finally taking steps to ensure all of its players are safe.
The changes include restricting access to certain experiences based on age, blocking unrated experiences for users who are under 13 years old, and enforcing stricter content standards for creators.
Roblox is a platform that has, for the majority of its existence, been associated with children and underage players. This is why many parents and communities are concerned about why it took the developers so long to implement such necessary safety measures.
What are the new restrictions being implemented in Roblox for the safety of underage players?
From November 18, 2024, Social Hangouts and Free-form User Creation experiences have been restricted to users aged 13 and older. Social Hangouts include communication-focused spaces like clubs or vibe games, but exclude role-playing or simulation games where users adopt characters (e.g., teachers, police officers).
Free-form User Creation refers to 2D tools like drawing boards or spray paint that bypass Roblox moderation. However, pre-moderated 3D creation tools remain unaffected. These changes aim to limit young users' exposure to potentially risky interactions and unmoderated content.
Read more: What was the first game in Roblox?
From December 3, 2024, players under 13 will no longer be able to search for or play unrated games. While they may view experience detail pages via direct links, they will not be able to access the games themselves. Creators will also be required to complete a content-rating questionnaire for their experiences by this deadline. Any unrated experiences will become unplayable and undiscoverable for under-13 players.
Also read: All Roblox Game Codes List (November 2024)
To further improve content transparency, Roblox will enforce stricter standards for Experience Detail Pages (e.g., titles, thumbnails, descriptions) starting in 2025. All details must meet "All Ages" or "9+" rating requirements. The developers are confident that this change will help parents feel more at ease when letting their children play games.
According to reports, including those from Bloomberg and Hindenburg Research group, investigations revealed that Roblox's lack of safety features allowed predatory behavior and grooming on the platform. The main concerns that these investigations highlighted were ineffective parental controls, inadequate content monitoring, and corporate priorities favoring growth over safety.
Due to these severe concerns, the developers had very few options other than to implement strong safety measures as soon as possible.