Roblox has debuted major updates to enhance safety and parental control features for young gamers.
The updates were starting to go into effect Monday morning according to the gaming company.
Parents can now manage settings remotely through their own accounts, allowing them to monitor their children's screen time; set limitations, and review their child's friends list in the virtual universe, Roblox said.
The company says built-in protections will limit communication between adults and users under the age of 13.
Players older than 13, will be restricted from sending a direct message to minors. Children under the age of 13, cannot send direct messages to each other unless a verified parent gives them permission.
The platform also introduced clearer content labeling to replace age-based labels with categories based on content type.
According to Roblox, this will give parents more control over the types of experiences their children can access.
Users under the age of nine will be limited to "Minimal" or "Mild" content by default, with more mature content requiring parental approval.
The company said it made the changes after it carried out extensive research and received feedback from families on how to make the virtual landscape better.
Gamers, many young children, spend six billion hours monthly on the online platform.
Roblox said the full updates will go into effect by 2025.
In an interview with BBC, Matt Kaufman, Roblox's chief safety officer, said the game is played by 88 million people each day. Gamers spent 16.7 billion hours on Roblox in three months revealed the company's internal data.
The company's stock took a hit earlier this fall when an investment firm issued a report claiming that Roblox didn't do enough to protect children from online predators.
Originally published on International Business Times.
