Roblox, one of the world’s biggest gaming platforms for children, is introducing new restrictions that stop young players from privately messaging adult strangers amid growing concerns about grooming and online abuse.
The platform, which has more than 80 million daily users globally, is rolling out stricter age-verification measures that require adults to prove their identity before they can access games with voice or text chat.
The move followed a series of international investigations into harmful content inside Roblox’s millions of user-created worlds as New Zealand authorities warned predators were increasingly using gaming platforms to target children.
Last year, New Zealand Police confirmed offenders were actively using Roblox to approach young Kiwi users, often after spotting personal information hidden inside a child’s username or gamertag.
Online safety organisations said many parents didn't realise how visible children were inside popular games or how quickly private interactions could escalate.
Norton’s latest survey highlighted how easily children could give away sensitive details:
- One in four usernames include a child’s real name
- One in five reveal a child’s age
- 17% contain birthdates or family pet names.
Experts said those seemingly harmless clues could be used to guess passwords, impersonate players, or build trust as part of grooming attempts.
Roblox: 'If you’re not comfortable, don't let your kids be on it'
Roblox co-founder and CEO Dave Baszucki told the BBC the company was intensifying its child protection efforts, particularly for users aged 13 to 17 – a group he called "a very vulnerable time".
"My message would be, if you’re not comfortable, don’t let your kids be on Roblox," he said. "I would always trust parents to make their own decision."
Baszucki said the platform had "zero tolerance" for harmful content and was investing heavily in new AI-driven safety systems.
NetSafe said parents should treat Roblox and other gaming platforms the same way they treated social media – with clear boundaries and active supervision.
Their key advice for Kiwi families includes:
- Use anonymous gamertags – no real names or personal details
- Decline friend requests from strangers
- Turn on parental controls and safety filters
- Ensure children avoid giving out personal information in-game.
The online safety organisation said parental involvement remained the strongest safeguard, regardless of how advanced a platform’s safety tools were.
The Roblox changes came as global pressure and new legislation pushed tech companies toward tougher protections for young users.
In Australia, Meta began shutting down teenagers' Instagram and Facebook accounts a week ahead of the country’s new under-16 social media ban.
Online safety experts expected similar debates to land in New Zealand.
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