Roblox agrees $12.5m deal to enhance child safety

• Users under age 16 will no longer be able to chat with adults unless pre-approved as trusted contacts.
• An additional $1m will fund nationwide online safety awareness campaigns.
• Roblox will establish a dedicated law enforcement liaison role with a $1.5m  investment.

Roblox has agreed to pay $12.5 million and implement new child safety measures following an agreement with Nevada’s attorney general.

As reported by Law360, the deal requires the company to introduce stricter safeguards across the Roblox platform, including age-estimation technology and verification through government-issued identification. 

Accounts suspected of misrepresenting user age will also be monitored more closely as part of the changes.

“We share the attorney general's focus on protecting children in Nevada and around the world, and we believe this collaborative path is the right way to prioritise the well-being of our community," said Roblox.

Expanded protections

Under the agreement, users under 16 will be restricted from communicating with adults unless they are approved as trusted contacts. The company will also stop encrypting communications involving minors to support law enforcement investigations into exploitation and harmful content.

Parents are set to gain greater control over how their children interact with the platform.

In addition to product changes, Roblox will allocate $10m to programmes such as the Boys & Girls Club of America to encourage offline activities, alongside $1m for online safety awareness campaigns and $1.5m to fund a Nevada-based law enforcement liaison role.

“This settlement will create a safer environment for our children online, and I hope that it will serve as a bellwether for how online interactive platforms allow our state's youth to use their products," said Nevada attorney general Aaron Ford. 

The agreement comes amid growing scrutiny of Roblox’s safety practices, including multiple lawsuits alleging that minors were exposed to harm on the platform. While the company disputes the claims, it said the settlement reflects its ongoing commitment to improving child safety standards.