Roblox is introducing three age-specific account types to improve safety for younger users amid growing regulatory pressure. The tiers, Roblox Kids for ages 5-8, Roblox Select for 9-15, and standard Roblox for 16 and older, will roll out globally starting mid-May or early June. Restrictions on chat and content access will vary by age group.
Roblox announced plans for mandatory age-gated accounts in a blog post by CEO and founder David Baszucki on Monday. Users will be assigned to one of three tiers based on the platform's age-check technology, ID verification, face scans, or parental confirmation. In the US, Roblox Kids covers ages 5-8, Roblox Select ages 9-15, and Roblox for those 16 and older, with variations by territory. Over half of users are already age-checked, and unverified accounts will default to Kids-like restrictions without chat or higher-rated games until verified. Roblox Kids accounts will disable chat by default and limit access to games with Minimal or Mild content maturity labels. Roblox Select allows gradual chat with age peers and trusted friends, capped at Moderate content. Users 16 and older gain full features, though Restricted content unlocks at 18. New parental controls arriving in June let parents block games, manage chats until age 16, and approve out-of-bracket experiences, such as siblings playing together. Baszucki emphasized safety, stating, 'When it comes to safety, we do the right thing, including proactive filtering, age-checks, parental controls, and providing clear content ratings, because the well-being of our community is our highest priority.' Chief Safety Officer Matt Kaufman addressed verification concerns, noting multiple correction options and behavior monitoring to re-verify if discrepancies arise. The changes respond to global regulations, lawsuits over grooming incidents—like a UK case where a 19-year-old contacted a 14-year-old via Roblox chat—and criticism of chat features.
