Latest news with #RobloxCorp
The Verge
18-07-2025
- Entertainment
- The Verge
Oof.
Roblox: all the news about the popular social and gaming platform See all Stories Posted Jul 18, 2025 at 11:02 PM UTC
The Star
18-07-2025
- The Star
Roblox rolls out safety features including age test
Roblox, which operates one of the largest video game platforms on the planet, has been rolling out new features and tools to help parents control how children interact with strangers on its site as it struggles with controlling child predation. — Unsplash Roblox Corp is adding new safety features, including an age-estimation tool that relies on video selfies, in an effort to better protect its kid-heavy user base. The gaming platform is changing the name of its in-game communications system from "Friends' to "Connections', to better reflect how users interact. The company is also introducing a new tier, called Trusted Connections that allows people to communicate via text chat and voice calls without the built-in filters that censor certain words and phrases. People 13 and older will be able to access this new feature by verifying their age with a video selfie that is "analysed against a large and diverse dataset to estimate their age,' the company said. If the tool determines that a user is under 13, the account will be flagged. If it's unable to determine a user's age, the person will be able to confirm it with another form of ID or, at some point in the future, parental consent. "We think this is the future of how teens will communicate,' Roblox chief executive officer Dave Baszucki said on Bloomberg TV Thursday. He described the artificial intelligence behind the age-estimation tool as "really good' but "not perfect', and said they were using it "in a conservative way to enable freer communication that is still monitored.' Freedom to chat more openly with trusted connections reduces the incentive for teens to move interactions off platform, where they may be exposed to greater risk, according to the company. Roblox, which operates one of the largest video game platforms on the planet, has been rolling out new features and tools to help parents control how children interact with strangers on its site as it struggles with controlling child predation. A Bloomberg investigation published last year revealed that since 2018, police had arrested at least two dozen people accused of abducting or abusing victims they met or groomed on the site. As Roblox works to generate more revenue from advertising, creating a safe space for kids and families will be key to getting brands to commit, Baszucki has said. As part of the latest set of safety features, Roblox is offering parents of teens new tools to monitor their child's experience on the site, such as spending notifications, data on Connections activity and controls for all users to manage their screen time and privacy. Those controls include a Do Not Disturb mode that silences alerts during bedtime. Teens who want to establish Trusted Connections with users over 18 will have to use a QR code scan or the platform's Contact Importer tool as an additional safety measure. Roblox plans to use the age-estimation tool even more in the future to support access to age-appropriate features and content. "Our goal is to lead the world in safety and civility for online gaming,' chief safety officer Matt Kaufman wrote in a blog post Thursday. – Bloomberg
TechCrunch
17-07-2025
- TechCrunch
Roblox introduces new safeguards for teens, including age estimation tech
Roblox announced Thursday that it's launching new safeguards for people who are between the ages of 13 and 18. The company is introducing 'Trusted Connections' to allows these users to connect more freely with people they know, alongside age estimation technology, more privacy tools, and insights for parents of teens. Roblox has come under fire in recent years for how it handles child safety. In April, Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier issued a subpoena to Roblox in response to reports that children were exposed to harmful material on the platform and that predatory adults were able to message minors on the app. The changes announced Thursday are likely part of Roblox's efforts to appease both lawmakers and parents. The teen-focused update comes eight months after Roblox launched protections for users under the age of 13. Image Credits:Roblox Roblox is renaming 'Friends' to 'Connections' and launching 'Trusted Connections' to allow teens to communicate more freely in chat and voice with people they trust. With Trusted Connections, users can chat without filters. 'Users the system determines are 13+ will get access to more expressive chat features with their Trusted Connections,' said Ryan Ebanks, senior product manager at Roblox, in a briefing with reporters. 'This additional freedom reduces the incentive for teens to move interactions off platform where they may be exposed to greater risk.' Roblox notes that conversations between Trusted Connections are proactively monitored for critical harm (e.g., grooming). Plus, parents can view who their teen is connected to as a Trusted Connection. To unlock Trusted Connections, users need to use the platform's new age estimation technology to verify their age by taking a selfie video; they must receive an estimation of at least 13 years old to access Trusted Connections. Roblox notes that if the system is unable to verify age with high confidence, their age will remain unconfirmed. If the user doesn't pass the age estimation, they can confirm their age with ID verification. Techcrunch event Tech and VC heavyweights join the Disrupt 2025 agenda Netflix, ElevenLabs, Wayve, Sequoia Capital — just a few of the heavy hitters joining the Disrupt 2025 agenda. They're here to deliver the insights that fuel startup growth and sharpen your edge. Don't miss the 20th anniversary of TechCrunch Disrupt, and a chance to learn from the top voices in tech — grab your ticket now and save up to $675 before prices rise. Tech and VC heavyweights join the Disrupt 2025 agenda Netflix, ElevenLabs, Wayve, Sequoia Capital — just a few of the heavy hitters joining the Disrupt 2025 agenda. They're here to deliver the insights that fuel startup growth and sharpen your edge. Don't miss the 20th anniversary of TechCrunch Disrupt, and a chance to learn from the top voices in tech — grab your ticket now and save up to $675 before prices rise. San Francisco | REGISTER NOW Image Credits:Roblox Users 13 to 17 who have their age confirmed can add each other as a Trusted Connection. Unfiltered communication between users aged 18 and above and teens is blocked unless a preexisting real-life relationship is verified via a QR code. The company plans to use age estimation across its platform to support user access to age-appropriate features and content. As for the new privacy tools, teens can now decide who can see if they're online. They can set this to be visible to just their Connections, followers, no one, or everyone on Roblox. They can now also set a window during which push notifications from Roblox are silenced. Image Credits:Roblox Roblox is giving parents access to a suite of tools to understand their child's usage and presence on the platform. Parents can now view who their teen is connected to, as well as how much time their teen spends on the platform and in which games. Plus, parents can choose to be notified when their teen makes a certain transaction on Roblox. 'We know that parents are extremely busy, and so we've designed these to really be quick at a glance insights that parents can hopefully fit into their busy schedules,' said Dina Lamdany, senior product manager at Roblox, in the briefing.
Bloomberg
17-07-2025
- Bloomberg
Roblox Rolls Out Safety Features Including Selfie-Based Age Test
Roblox Corp. is adding new safety features, including an age-estimation tool that relies on video selfies, in an effort to better protect its kid-heavy user base. The gaming platform is changing the name of its in-game communications system from 'Friends' to 'Connections,' to better reflect how users interact. The company is also introducing a new tier, called Trusted Connections that allows people to communicate via text chat and voice calls without the built-in filters that censor certain words and phrases.
Yahoo
15-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Roblox Stock Hits 52-Week High After Report of Multi-Million Game Sales
July 15 - Roblox (NYSE:RBLX) shares rose about 5% on Monday afternoon after a Bloomberg report spotlighted rising payouts for developers on the gaming platform. Warning! GuruFocus has detected 6 Warning Signs with RBLX. List of 52-Week Lows List of 3-Year Lows List of 5-Year Lows According to the report, some creators are earning seven- and eight-figure sums from hit games. One title, Blue Lock: Rivals, was said to have sold for over $3 million after generating around $5 million in monthly in-game purchases. The platform's growing developer economy, supported by nearly 100 million daily active users, has become a key part of Roblox's business model. Popular games boost engagement and drive in-app spending, from which the company earns a share. Analysts say such headlines may encourage more developers to join, potentially creating a flywheel effect for user growth and monetization. Roblox shares have seen 16 moves greater than 5% over the past year. The stock hit a new 52-week high at $111.8 and is up nearly 90% year-to-date. Investors are watching to see whether the latest momentum can be sustained amid broader volatility. Based on the one year price targets offered by 31 analysts, the average target price for Roblox Corp is $83.98 with a high estimate of $126.00 and a low estimate of $30.00. The average target implies a downside of -24.90% from the current price of $111.83. Based on GuruFocus estimates, the estimated GF Value for Roblox Corp in one year is $85.20, suggesting a downside of -23.81% from the current price of $111.83. Gf value is Gurufocus' estimate of the fair value that the stock should be traded at. It is calculated based on the historical multiples the stock has traded at previously, as well as past business growth and the future estimates of the business' performance. For deeper insights, visit the forecast page. This article first appeared on GuruFocus.
