Roblox agrees to a $12 million settlement with Nevada
Amid ongoing legal issues with several states and more than 100 pending lawsuits, Roblox this week announced a $12 million settlement with Nevada, allowing the company to avoid going to trial in the case.
Following the agreement, Nevada Attorney General Aaron Ford said “this settlement will create a safer environment for our children online, and I hope it will serve as a barometer of how interactive online platforms allow our state’s youth to use their products.” As part of the deal, Roblox agreed to give $10 million over three years to local child support programs like the Boys & Girls Club and other non-digital groups, while spending another $2.5 million to fund a law enforcement liaison position and online safety awareness campaigns.
Additionally, Roblox will also implement more rigorous security protocols, including an age verification system that combines a facial age estimation system with government-issued IDs that will only allow children to speak with other players of the same age. Additionally, users under the age of 16 will not be allowed to message adults unless they have been designated as “trusted friends,” which can be assigned via a QR code. This is intended to ensure that all adults speaking to minors on the platform have an existing relationship with the child.
Parental controls will be available for user accounts under the age of 16 (previously the limit was 13). The company says it will also create children’s accounts for anyone under 16, which will limit access to adult content and provide a list of games that have been selected to be suitable for younger players. These changes follow a recent update that established new guidelines for Roblox Kids accounts (for children between five and eight years old) and Roblox Select accounts (for children between nine and 15 years old), which have various content and chat restrictions.
However, although Roblox has reached a settlement with Nevada, the company still faces a number of lawsuits from other parties and states, including Kentucky, Iowa, Louisiana, Texas, and more, over allegations that the platform knowingly facilitated the sexual exploitation of children.
