Roblox Launches Age-Based Accounts Amid Regulatory Pressure and Safety Concerns

April 23, 2026 - 05:48

Roblox has announced a fundamental overhaul of how its platform functions for younger users, introducing a dual-tier account system designed to separate children into age-appropriate categories with restricted communication features and strengthened parental controls.

The new system, announced last week, creates two distinct account types: Roblox Kids for users aged five to eight, and Roblox Select for those aged nine to fifteen. Children in the Kids category will be limited to content rated Minimal or Mild, have chat disabled by default unless a parent grants permission, and receive an expanded suite of parental oversight tools. Those in the Select tier gain access to Moderate experiences and safeguarded chat, with parental controls gradually loosening after age twelve to align with developing data rights.

The rollout comes as the platform faces intense legal and regulatory scrutiny worldwide. Roblox has been banned in several countries including Algeria, Egypt, and Iran on child safety grounds. It has also faced numerous lawsuits, including a high-profile legal battle with the Texas Attorney General who accused the company of prioritising profits over child protection. In Australia, the platform came under renewed scrutiny following the country's social media ban.

Tim Scott, Senior Director of Public Policy EMEA at Roblox, told reporters that advances in age assurance technology have enabled the policy change. The company reports that more than fifty percent of Roblox users have completed an age check since it became platform policy, with accuracy for under-eighteen users now estimated at roughly one point four years.

The system requires all users to verify their age upon entering the platform. Those over eighteen receive full access, while sixteen and seventeen-year-olds can access most features except adult content, with parents able to monitor their friendships, screen time, and spending. Anyone who refuses to age-verify is placed in a restricted account with no chat access until they prove their age.

Roblox is also strengthening content rules, requiring developers to verify their identity through the Roblox Plus subscription system before their experiences can be included in Kids or Select categories. Content must be tested in real-time by users aged sixteen and above and assigned a rating through the company's moderation system. A forthcoming partnership with the International Age Rating Coalition will transform those labels into local ratings such as PEGI or ESRB.

Parental controls have been expanded significantly, giving parents the ability to manage chat access and specific experiences until a user's sixteenth birthday. Notably, parents can also grant permission for children to access content that would otherwise be restricted by their age category, mirroring laws around physical game retail in the United Kingdom.

The measures bear strong resemblance to Epic Games' Cabined Accounts but go further in combining verification, multiple account tiers, and ecosystem strengthening. Scott acknowledged that regulatory pressure has influenced the timing of the announcement, though he emphasised that the games industry has long taken safety seriously through age ratings and parental controls.

The new system is scheduled for rollout in June 2026, and questions remain about whether it will meaningfully satisfy safety regulators or simply invite new workarounds from determined users.