Roblox launches age-based Kids and Select accounts

Roblox launched two age-based account tiers, Kids and Select, available on the platform starting today. The company said the changes add chat limits, content restrictions and new parental controls and follow the UK government’s proposal to restrict under‑16s’ use of social media and contact with strangers in online gaming.

Roblox Chief Safety Officer Matt Kaufman described the tiers as designed to ‘align users’ access to games and features with their age.’ The company said developers and parents will face new requirements and tools tied to the account types.

Accounts in the Kids and Select tiers cannot upload gameplay to Roblox’s Moments service. Social media links are removed from accounts not verified as belonging to someone 16 or older. Games available to Kids and Select users will be limited, and titles intended for those tiers must pass extra moderation checks before publication.

Communication controls differ by age. Kids accounts, for children aged five to eight, will have no in‑game chat. Select accounts, for users up to 15, will receive chat access that increases incrementally with age. Where the feature is available, users on these accounts may message people designated as ‘Trusted Friends’ by both the child and the parent. Text filters remain in place and the company monitors chat for signs of child exploitation. Full chat access is restored when a player turns 16 and completes age verification.

Parents can link their own Roblox account to a child’s account to set screen‑time and spending limits, manage chat settings and control game access. Until a child reaches 13, parents can review the child’s friends list and can block or report users. Certain controls can be changed by parents up to the age of 16.

Developers who want to publish games for Kids or Select accounts must submit to additional moderation systems and reviews, provide identification and secure their developer accounts with two‑factor authentication. Roblox said these measures are intended to raise safety standards for creators reaching younger audiences.

The UK government aims to pass online safety legislation by the end of 2026, with rules expected to come into force in early 2027. Roblox did not state whether regulators in the UK have reviewed the new account types or whether the measures will meet the specific requirements of the forthcoming law.