Roblox to Allow 17+ Content Officially – Audience Beyond Younger Demographic

Roblox, the popular build-your-own gaming platform among children, is expanding its audience beyond the younger demographic. The company is making efforts to attract a wider range of users. In a press release issued on Tuesday, it was announced that the company will now permit content that is targeted toward individuals who are 17 years of age or older.

Roblox has reported that 38% of its 66.1 million daily visitors are now 17 years old and above. Despite being primarily used by minors, this statistic indicates a significant increase in adult users on the platform. According to recent reports, the fastest-growing age group of users for gaming apps are those between the ages of 17 and 24.

In a recent statement released by the company, it was stated that

Roblox is a platform for all ages where no matter how old people are, they can connect with friends and discover a wide range of relevant, engaging, and age-appropriate experiences.

In March, Roblox made an announcement regarding its plans to modify a portion of its video games and metaverse society to cater to its growing demographic. New content with a more mature theme has been released. According to the guidelines provided on the website, games falling under this category will be permitted to showcase “intense violence, heavy realistic blood, moderate crude humor, romantic themes, unplayable gambling content, and/or the presence of alcohol.” In accordance with the recently unveiled 17+ policy guidelines, sexual content, nudity, references to illegal drugs, and graphic violence will continue to be prohibited.

Roblox has announced that it will be restricting access to all 17+ “experiences” – a term used to describe games created by community members – to users who have been age-verified. The company has made this decision in an effort to ensure the safety and security of its users. In order to become age-verified, users will need to provide a government-issued photo ID along with a selfie, according to recent reports.

Roblox has announced that it will continue to support experiences for users aged 9+ and those 13 and up, as it has done previously. Despite the complete prohibition of adult content on the platform, the website has faced challenges in effectively monitoring the content it hosts. According to a statement made by Morgan McGuire, a chief scientist at the company, to Reuters last year, moderating Roblox was a challenging task due to its vast size and decentralized set-up. McGuire likened the process to “shutting down speakeasies” rather than regulating content on other online platforms. With an ever-growing number of users contributing to the platform, the number of multiplayer games available on the platform has surpassed 50 million. This number continues to increase as users create and share new games on a regular basis.

A seven-year-old child has reportedly been impacted by an instance of in-game sexual assault on the popular gaming platform, Roblox. This is just one of several notable cases of such incidents occurring on the platform. A lawsuit was filed against the platform in 2022, accusing it of facilitating the exploitation of a 10-year-old girl. Kim Kardashian has reportedly threatened to sue a game app over claims that it displayed an advertisement featuring sexually inappropriate content using her image. The celebrity’s young son allegedly came across the ad while playing the game. Kardashian is said to be taking legal action against the app in response to the incident.

Roblox has come under fire for its micro-transaction system that targets its young user base, in addition to the ongoing challenges of content moderation. The system has been criticized for attempting to extract real money from users, further adding to the platform’s existing issues. Robux, the virtual currency used in the popular online game Roblox, has a value of approximately $0.01 USD per unit. While seemingly insignificant, the accumulation of Robux can quickly become substantial as players use the currency to acquire various in-game items such as clothing and accessories. Advocacy groups have raised concerns about the advertisements, describing them as unregulated and lacking proper guardrails.

Roblox is pushing ahead with its plans for a 17+ future, despite some lingering concerns. In a recent press statement, the company highlighted its current moderation policies and community standards in response to a change. The company emphasized that users have the ability to report and block any individuals or content that violates these terms. In a recent news statement, it was mentioned that safety remains a top priority as innovation continues. Roblox has announced that it may introduce additional age verification methods in the future, in addition to its current photo-ID policy.

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