Roblox will pay more than $12 million to the state of Nevada and expand protections for minors under an agreement Nevada Attorney General Aaron Ford announced Wednesday, according to the terms described by the state. Ford, a Democrat, said the deal is meant to create a safer environment for children online and to set a “bellwether” for how interactive platforms should allow Nevada’s youth to use their services.
Ford said the settlement includes payments totaling more than $12 million, with $10 million directed over three years toward programs such as the Boys & Girls Club and other nondigital activities. He also said the company will fund a law-enforcement liaison position to respond to safety concerns about the platform and will pay for an online safety awareness campaign.
The agreement, reached in lieu of litigation, calls for enhanced safeguards for minors who use the app, including age verification requirements for all users and restrictions on nighttime notifications for minors. Ford also said the settlement expands parental oversight for users under 16, noting that the oversight was previously available for users under 13.
As part of the changes, Ford said Roblox will use facial age estimation technology to help limit younger users’ chats to only those in similar age groups. He said adult users and users under 16 would not be allowed to chat unless they are communicating with a trusted friend, who can be added through a QR code or by adding the person through phone contacts so the child knows the contact outside of the platform. Ford also said Roblox will monitor activity to see if a user misrepresented their age.
Ford said Roblox will create kids accounts for users under age 16 that block access to adult-rated content and provide games vetted for suitability. He also said the company’s new approach is focused on limiting what minors can access and tightening controls around who they can interact with inside the platform.
Roblox said it worked with Ford to reach the agreement. In a statement, Roblox Chief Safety Officer Matt Kaufman said the settlement “will create a safer environment for our children online,” and he described the deal as a “landmark agreement” and a blueprint for collaboration between industry and regulators to protect children.
The settlement comes as prosecutors have filed lawsuits against social media companies over their role in children’s online experiences. The AP report said that last month, in California and New Mexico, social media companies including Meta and YouTube were found liable for designing platforms to hook young users and ordered to pay more than $375 million in penalties. Ford also said he has lawsuits pending against Meta, TikTok, Snapchat, YouTube and Kik, alleging they failed to implement safety measures for children.
Nevada’s attorney general’s office also highlighted the potential threat picture facing children online. Donch’e King, a supervising criminal investigator in Ford’s office, said “half a million online predators pursue children at any given moment,” often across multiple platforms, and that most predatory contact occurs through chat rooms and instant messaging. King urged parents to communicate frankly with their children about the platforms they are on and to report concerns to law enforcement.
Roblox said the agreement will bolster its youth-safety approach. The platform acknowledged in its statement that it is facing litigation in other states, including Texas and Kentucky, where lawsuits allege it fails to protect children.