LAS VEGAS (KSNV) — The state of Nevada has reached a first-of-its-kind settlement with the online gaming platform Roblox.
Attorney General Aaron Ford says the company will pay $10 million, which will be used to encourage children to engage in non-digital programs.
Roblox also agreed to implement age verification that would limit children to age-appropriate content. The platform will use facial age estimation technology and government-issued ID for age assurance and monitor the behavior of users who might have been aged incorrectly.
Parents will also get expanded control over the use of Roblox, allowing them to decide who children are talking to and what games they’re playing.
“The agreement we have announced today will protect Nevada’s children from would-be predators in virtual spaces,” Ford said in a statement. “The injunctive relief that Roblox has agreed to will give parents the tools they need to protect their children on the platform; institute default protections to block predators from engaging with children; and ensure that messages involving minors are not encrypted.”
Adult users and users under 16 will not be able to chat unless they are a “trusted friend,” a label that requires parental consent for users under 13. No communications with minors will be encrypted.
In addition to the $10 million payment, Roblox has agreed to spend $1 million over the next two years on an online safety awareness campaign and another $1.5 million on a law enforcement liaison.
In a statement provided to News 3, Roblox said that while it disputes the claims from Nevada’s lawsuit, the company believes the agreement with Ford’s office will set a new standard for online safety.
“This resolution creates a blueprint for how industry and regulators can work together to protect the next generation of digital citizens,” Roblox’s chief safety officer Matt Kaufman said. “We have no finish line when it comes to safety, and we are grateful for the Attorney General’s advocacy in pioneering this path forward.”
FULL STATEMENT FROM ROBLOX
We are pleased to have reached this resolution with Attorney General Ford, which reflects Roblox’s continued commitment to fostering online health and safety for kids. We share the Attorney General’s focus on protecting children in Nevada and around the world, and we believe this collaborative path is the right way to prioritize the well-being of our community.
This agreement is a testament to our ongoing mission to set the gold standard for online safety – one informed by our productive discussions with Attorney General Ford and leaders around the world. These conversations have helped shape several critical measures including:
- Industry-Leading Facial Age Estimation: Implementing technology to automatically restrict chat, limiting younger users’ chat to only users in similar age groups by default.
- Roblox Kids and Roblox Select Accounts: Introducing new age-based accounts for users under 16 that provide access to a dynamically updated catalog of games vetted through a multi-step suitability check.
- Robust Parental Controls: Maintaining a robust suite of controls that give parents oversight over access to chat, screen time and spending limits and adjusting what content their children can access.
- Expanded Parental Oversight: Extending key parental controls – previously available for users under 13 – to include users under the age of 16, providing parents with continued visibility and management as their children grow.
- Dedicated Law Enforcement Support: Establishing a dedicated Nevada-based law enforcement liaison with a 24/7 direct line for requests.
While we dispute the claims in the complaint, this landmark agreement is a step forward in our work to create a healthy, safe, age-appropriate environment.
This report has been updated to include a statement from Roblox.
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