Roblox bans messaging for users under 13: All you need to know about new safety update

Roblox has revealed plans to restrict messaging for users under the age of 13 as part of its updated child safety measures. By default, children will not be able to send direct messages within games unless a verified parent or guardian provides explicit permission.  

Parents will gain greater control over their child's account, with the ability to view their friends list, monitor activity, and set daily playtime limits.  

Roblox, which Ofcom research identifies as the most popular gaming platform for eight to 12-year-olds in the UK, has faced calls to enhance safety for its younger audience.  

The platform announced that these changes would start rolling out on Monday, with full implementation expected by March 2025.  

This update ensures that children can still participate in public conversations visible to all players, allowing them to interact with friends, but private messaging will require parental consent.  

Matt Kaufman, Roblox's chief safety officer, stated that 88 million people play the game daily, and thousands of employees, representing over 10% of the workforce, are dedicated to safety features.  

"As our platform has grown in scale, we have always recognised that our approach to safety must evolve with it," he said.  

In addition to restricting direct messaging for young users, Roblox will provide parents with improved tools to monitor and manage their child’s activities on the platform.  

To access these parental controls, parents or guardians will need to verify their identity using a government-issued ID or credit card through their linked account.  

Kaufman acknowledged that verifying identities is a challenge many tech companies face and urged parents to ensure their child’s age is accurately entered during account creation.  

"Our goal is to keep all users safe, no matter what age they are," he said.  

"We encourage parents to be working with their kids to create accounts and hopefully ensure that their kids are using their accurate age when they sign up."