MANILA, Philippines – Roblox Corporation held its first in-the-world “Unbox Roblox” event in Metro Manila on Tuesday, August 18, amid calls to scrutinize the online platform and its chat functions over concerns they may enable violent behavior among young players.
The scrutiny comes amid a broader national investigation into the relationship between online spaces, including platforms like Roblox, and child safety, following two deadly school shootings in the Philippines, one of which occurred on the same day as Roblox’s event.
Below is a list of the features and actions Roblox as a game-and-experience development platform has taken to improve its safety protocols and protect its users from bad actors.
Global Parent Council
In February, Roblox announced the formation of a Global Parent Council. The Council is made up of 80 parents and caregivers from 32 countries, including the Philippines, who will serve as advisers to help inform about products, policies, and partnerships.
Said Roblox: “Members will meet quarterly to share insights and perspectives about what they want to see on our platform, and to advocate for parents and families in their regions. Members will also be invited to join monthly Q&A sessions on specific topics.”
Roblox’s age-tiered account system
Roblox has an age-tiered account system that requires users to verify their age to access different levels of the platform. These three tiers are Roblox Kids for ages 5 to 8, Roblox Select for ages 9 to 15, and standard Roblox accounts for those over the age of 15.
Roblox Kids and Roblox Select users — those under 16, basically — have reduced access to certain features, such as being limited to certain games and experiences on the Roblox platform, as well as limited or no access to chat depending on the age and express permission of a linked parent account.
Specifically, chat is off by default for kids under 9, unless enabled by a parent.
Parents whose accounts are linked to a younger user’s account have the ability to control what access they have to Roblox’s experiences and chat functions till the age of 15. Parents also have functions for screen time management, or how long younger users can play Roblox.
AI-powered age-gating
Introduced last year, and rolled out globally in 2026, Roblox does not simply accept the age entered at signup. The company uses AI-powered facial age estimation for verification of a user’s approximate age.
A complete rundown of how the system works is available, with a more technical explanation of its AI-powered age gating system, but essentially, users are required to submit images and video of their face, which are analyzed to estimate their age.
Users may also submit their IDs for verification, though this feature is limited to those 13 and older.
The Family Zone experience
For parents who want to take Roblox out for a spin with their kids, it also has a game zone specifically meant for them: the Family Zone.
Roblox said in its announcement on Family Zone’s release that the mode “fosters co-play between children and their parents and facilitates conversations about digital safety in an entertaining way.”
Instead of parents teaching kids, kids — especially those who may be more adept at Roblox play — teach their parents how to use Roblox’s functions by introducing interactive lessons around safety and the company’s safety features.
The company added, “We guide parents through our robust parental controls, which allow those with linked accounts to set screen-time limits, manage spending, choose whom their child connects with, and manage what games they can play. We offer rewards, such as exclusive avatar items, for players who complete in-game tutorials, and provide families with a variety of age-appropriate experiences.”
Instituting a Learning Hub
For better-curated learning experiences, the Roblox Learning Hub has a collection of educational experiences for users to keep them on the platform in a safe, fostering play environment.
The company said users can immerse themselves through the games available in a variety of real-world topics and skills, including vocabulary building, computer science, arts, math, life skills, and brain games.
Onus on parental supervision
One throughline across the gamut of these features available is the importance of involving parents and supervising the play of the kids enjoying Roblox.
While Roblox can take AI and its resources to moderate the experiences users have on the platform, doggedly persistent bad actors may still sometimes prevail, especially if there’s no one watching young users as they play.
With the development of a mobile-first AI creation tool for Roblox called Build, it’ll be easier than ever to make games and experiences on the platform, especially in a mobile-predominant country like the Philippines.
Whether the bad actors and groomers win out over concerned parents may ultimately depend on how well Roblox Corporation does its job of policing its game platform, alongside how adeptly parents use the tools available to them on such platforms to watch and guide their kids along the way. – Rappler.com