������̳

Roblox says that under new safety features it's bringing out, under-13s will be blocked from direct messaging other people on the platform.

They say the feature is being put in place to safeguard children online.

Under-13 accounts will not be able to send any direct messages within games unless a parent or guardian gives them permission to do so in the app.

Also gamemakers will be asked to say whether their games are suitable for under-13s - with any that fail to do so being blocked for players aged 12 and younger.

Under-13 accounts will also be barred from accessing "social hangouts", where players can talk to each other by text and voice.

Why have Roblox announced these features?

According to research, Roblox is one of the most popular gaming platforms for eight to 12 year olds.

But it has also been under pressure to do more to make the site safer for children.

Children have reported seeing upsetting things, being spoken to by strangers, and earlier this year Turkey banned Roblox completely, saying it wanted to protect children.

This new feature aims to block under-13 accounts from being able to send direct messages unless parents or guardians give them permission to use the direct message feature.

To do this the parent/guardian must have their own linked account, and verify their identity and age with a form of government-issued ID or a credit card.

However, Roblox have also admitted that checking people's ID and age is a challenge being faced by a lot of tech companies, adding that parents have a responsibility to make sure their child has the correct age on their account.

What have people said about the changes?

Matt Kaufman, Roblox's chief safety officer, said the game is played by 88 million people each day, adding: "Our goal is to keep all users safe, no matter what age they are."

Richard Collard, from the UK children's charity the NSPCC, said "Roblox must make this a priority to robustly tackle the harm taking place on their site and protect young children".

He called the changes “a positive step in the right direction" but added that to create "safer experiences for children" there needs to be proper ways of checking what age a user is when they set up an account in the first place.

Roblox said the changes would be fully in place by the end of March 2025.

Advice about chatting online

Just like in the real world, it is important to stay safe when you are online too.

Whilst gaming and being online can be fun and helpful, there are lots of things to think about to make sure you are safe.

������̳ Bitesize have some good advice when it comes to speaking to people online.

They say: "It is a good idea to only play games or chat with people you know in person.

"Sometimes online, you might meet people you don't know. Remember to treat them in the same way you would a stranger in the real world.

"You can be polite, but never share any personal information or ask them for any."

They also suggest using an avatar instead of a photo of yourself and never giving away your location.

Remember, if you come across things that upset you online, there is lots of support out there for you to get help.

Speak to an adult you trust, like a parent, guardian or a teacher. You can also contact Childline on 0800 1111 for free at any time