Gaming giant Roblox announced new age-segregated “Kids” and “Select” account tiers on Monday to restrict game and chat access for younger users, following intense legal pressure over child safety risks on the platform.
The global rollout, set to begin in early June, relies on mandatory age-verification technology introduced by the platform in January. Users who have not verified their age will be restricted to a curated list of games intended for younger audiences. Roblox plans to offer an initial transition period, allowing current players time to complete the age-check process.
Understanding the New Age Tiers and Restrictions
Under the new structure, children aged five to nine will automatically be placed into “Roblox Kids” accounts, while users aged nine to 15 will receive “Roblox Select” accounts. Players aged 16 and older will hold standard accounts, though only users 18 and older can access “Restricted Content,” which features strong language, explicit romantic themes, and intense violence.
For players on Roblox Kids accounts, content will be limited to titles with “Minimal” or “Mild” maturity ratings, which cover occasional mild fear, crude humor, or minor violence. Social interaction will be tightly controlled: chat functionality remains disabled by default for kids under nine, unless a parent explicitly approves individual communication contacts.
Roblox Select accounts permit access to games rated up to “Moderate” and allow users to communicate with peers in a similar age category. To provide flexibility, parents can manually override system defaults to unlock specific games—such as letting a younger child play a restricted title alongside an older sibling.
Strict Three-Step Vetting for Game Developers
To qualify for inclusion on Kids or Select accounts, experiences must clear a new three-step screening protocol enforced by Roblox:
First, developers must meet stringent verification requirements. Creators under 16 must provide government ID verification or maintain a linked parent account, enable two-step verification, and maintain an active subscription to Roblox Plus. Priced at $4.99 per month, Roblox Plus officially replaces the legacy Roblox Premium tier, which stops accepting new sign-ups on April 30.
Second, experiences undergo real-time testing. Players aged 16 and older access the games first to provide feedback and submit moderation reports. Roblox concurrently deploys its automated multimodal moderation systems to flag potential policy violations before content reaches younger demographics.
Finally, the games must satisfy technical gameplay parameters and secure an official content maturity label matching the target age bracket.
Mounting Legal Scrutiny Drives Platform Changes
These policy overhauls arrive following significant regulatory and legal backlash regarding child protection on the platform. State attorneys general, including those from Texas and Louisiana, recently launched lawsuits against the company.
The legal action followed public investigations and media reports, as well as critical research from firm Hindenburg Research, which alleged that Roblox exposed underage users to child predators and inappropriate content.
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