Roblox, which operates one of the largest video game platforms on the planet, has been rolling out new features and tools to help parents control how children interact with strangers on its site as it struggles with controlling child predation. — Unsplash
Roblox Corp is adding new safety features, including an age-estimation tool that relies on video selfies, in an effort to better protect its kid-heavy user base.
The gaming platform is changing the name of its in-game communications system from "Friends” to "Connections”, to better reflect how users interact. The company is also introducing a new tier, called Trusted Connections that allows people to communicate via text chat and voice calls without the built-in filters that censor certain words and phrases.
People 13 and older will be able to access this new feature by verifying their age with a video selfie that is "analysed against a large and diverse dataset to estimate their age,” the company said. If the tool determines that a user is under 13, the account will be flagged. If it’s unable to determine a user’s age, the person will be able to confirm it with another form of ID or, at some point in the future, parental consent.
"We think this is the future of how teens will communicate,” Roblox chief executive officer Dave Baszucki said on Bloomberg TV Thursday. He described the artificial intelligence behind the age-estimation tool as "really good” but "not perfect”, and said they were using it "in a conservative way to enable freer communication that is still monitored.”
Freedom to chat more openly with trusted connections reduces the incentive for teens to move interactions off platform, where they may be exposed to greater risk, according to the company.
Roblox, which operates one of the largest video game platforms on the planet, has been rolling out new features and tools to help parents control how children interact with strangers on its site as it struggles with controlling child predation. A Bloomberg investigation published last year revealed that since 2018, police had arrested at least two dozen people accused of abducting or abusing victims they met or groomed on the site.
As Roblox works to generate more revenue from advertising, creating a safe space for kids and families will be key to getting brands to commit, Baszucki has said.
As part of the latest set of safety features, Roblox is offering parents of teens new tools to monitor their child’s experience on the site, such as spending notifications, data on Connections activity and controls for all users to manage their screen time and privacy. Those controls include a Do Not Disturb mode that silences alerts during bedtime.
Teens who want to establish Trusted Connections with users over 18 will have to use a QR code scan or the platform’s Contact Importer tool as an additional safety measure.
Roblox plans to use the age-estimation tool even more in the future to support access to age-appropriate features and content.
"Our goal is to lead the world in safety and civility for online gaming,” chief safety officer Matt Kaufman wrote in a blog post Thursday. – Bloomberg
