Roblox rolls out Trusted Connections and new parental tools in major safety update

• Roblox introduces Trusted Connections to support safer communication between teens and people they know.
• Players can only add users aged 18 and above as Trusted Connections if they know them in real life.
• Parents can now link accounts to view their child's connections, time spent on Roblox, and spending activity.

Roblox has released new safety and privacy updates to support more positive and age-appropriate experiences on the platform.

Trusted Connections will allow users aged 13 and older to communicate more freely with people they know. Roblox has also added an age estimation technology to help confirm users' ages.

There are also new privacy tools to help users manage notifications, screen time and privacy settings, with a focus on teens. 

Roblox said that with permission, parents can now create a linked account that gives them visibility into their child's activity on the platform. 

This includes insights into who their child is connected to through Connections and Trusted Connections, how much time they spends on Roblox and in specific experiences, as well as notifications about spending. 

Online safety 

Roblox said teens aged 13 to 17 can add each other as Trusted Connections if their age is confirmed, and can only connect with users 18 and older if they know them in real life, using tools like QR scans or contact importing. 

Users under 13 cannot access Trusted Connections, and Roblox claimed it does not allow photos or videos to be shared in chat regardless of a user's age. 

“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," Roblox said in a post. 

“Teens are natural explorers, navigating the online world with a desire for autonomy and freedom. At Roblox, we balance this independence with safety and well-being."

The new changes follow Roblox's appointment of Dr. Elizabeth Milovidov as head of parental advocacy in May, tasked with creating partnerships and programmes to support parents navigating Roblox and the digital world. 

Prior to her appointment, the company introduced three new parental control features in April.