One of the things that we’ve talked about over the last few months is that Roblox may be a “great game” in terms of its overall composition and the things you can do in it, but it comes at a price that many don’t expect until it happens to them. Specifically, there are plenty of “bad actors” in the game that are out to try to abuse the fan base. With 40% of the game’s community being under 13, that’s quite a problem, and the dev has claimed many times over that they’re trying to make things “safer” for those who play.
Now, they’ve released a big corporate announcement stating that they’ve made some big steps toward the safety of the game overall, and it involves “Trusted Connections.” Here’s what they had to say about it:
“Users on Roblox connect with people they know in real life, as well as players they meet in Roblox experiences. To better reflect how our users connect and interact, we’re renaming Friends to Connections across our platform. And building on this, we’re introducing Trusted Connections for eligible users 13 and older. Trusted Connections can be unlocked through Age Estimation, and users who are connected through Trusted Connections can communicate more freely in chat and voice with people they know and trust. This additional 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.”
As they have stated, anyone under 13 won’t be able to use this feature, and the team went on to talk about what it will take to keep it safe, while keeping the new chat model “without restrictions” and such:
“We believe chat without filters should only be accessible to users who have verified their age. This isn’t just about compliance; it’s about building engaging and appropriate digital spaces for everyone. To support this vision, we’re investing in age estimation technology that enables more tailored and developmentally appropriate experiences, while protecting our community from those who might seek to do harm.”
The team promises that not only will this way of communication be safe, but it’ll also allow parents to more easily monitor who their kids are talking to and why.
Will this be the “overall fix” that many have been hoping for? It’s hard to say for certain. But if this is a step toward making things “safer” for all who play, it’s something we can appreciate.
