Roblox is saying goodbye to its “Friends.”
Following ongoing reports and accusations of grooming and predatory behavior experienced by its younger-skewing users, the gaming platform rolled out a slew of new safety features Thursday.
Among the updates are age-estimation technology based on video selfies, the rebranding of Roblox users’ “Friends” to “Connections,” safeguards for a new teen-only “Trusted Connections” chat function, and further insights for parents into their teenage children’s habits on platform.
Roblox says it is currently looking ahead to incorporating the age estimation tool platform-wide as a block for user access to “age-appropriate features and content.” It should be noted that the age estimation tool remains completely optional, and users over 13 can still verify their age with an ID.
Per the gaming platform, here is how the age-estimation technology will work:
Users 13 and over who want to access Trusted Connections will be prompted to take a video selfie, which is analyzed against a large and diverse dataset to estimate their age. All biometric data is handled securely.
Users must receive an estimation of at least 13 years old to access Trusted Connections and other chat functions that are restricted to users 13 and older.
Unfiltered communication between users aged 18 and above and those 13 to 17 is blocked unless a preexisting, real-life relationship exists, confirmed through a QR code or phone contact list. We will soon provide more ways for age-checked teens to connect with each other on Roblox.
If our estimation system determines that a user is actually under 13, we will automatically correct the user’s age to under 13 and remove access to features that are not age appropriate.
If the system is not able to estimate the user’s age with high confidence, then the user’s age will remain unconfirmed and the user won’t be able to access Trusted Connections.
If the user doesn’t pass Age Estimation but is over 13, then they can confirm their age through ID verification and, in the future, verified parental consent.
Additionally, Roblox is launching tools developed “with teens in mind” to help users manage notifications, screen time and privacy, as well as features giving the parents notifications about their teen’s spending habits, Connections and Trusted Connections, and screen time stats (features that already exist for parents of users labeled under 13).
Roblox says these new measures were developed in partnership with Roblox’s Teen Council, our Trust and Safety Advisory Board, the Digital Wellness Lab at Boston Children’s Hospital, and the Family Online Safety Institute.
“Safety has always been foundational to everything we do at Roblox. Our goal is to lead the world in safety and civility for online gaming,” Roblox chief safety officer Matt Kaufman said in a blog post announcing the new initiatives Thursday. “We’ve spent nearly two decades building sophisticated safety systems, which supports our mission of connecting a billion people every day with optimism and civility. We are dedicated to supporting experiences that are both deeply engaging and empowering for players of all ages, while continuously innovating how all users connect and interact. Today, we’re taking a significant step forward and announcing an expansion of our safety platform.”