Roblox to block Irish kids from talking to adults in an attempt to curb grooming
The new rules will be rolled out in early January
Roblox has stated that it will now roll out compulsory age checks for children wanting to access their in-game chat feature.
The online game, which has become increasingly popular with children across Ireland, allows users to create games, build worlds, and talk to a vast online community.
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From January 2026, after a phased rollout, all users who want to access chat features will need to complete an age estimation check which will require facial recognition and/or ID checks. Once verified, users will be assigned into one of six age brackets - under 9, 9-12, 13-15, 16-17, 18-20, and 21+.
Like many countries, Ireland has growing concerns about children's safety and exposure when it comes to navigating the online world and chatting to strangers.
These enhanced parental controls are an attempt to curb conversations and interactions between adults and minors, reassuring parents that their young children are less likely to be chatting with much older, unknown users. Cyber safety charities across the country have long warned about the risks children face on social platforms and gaming apps.
These changes also come amid rising pressure on tech companies to better protect children from being exposed to harmful material. There have been several stories, particularly in the US, of children being groomed by someone pretending to be a child who then coerce the child into sending explicit images of themselves.
While the new changes will be welcome to Irish parents, it won't solve every problem overnight. Being vigilant and aware of what platforms your child is using, who they are talking to, talking to them about online safety, and having strict parental controls on computers will still be very much needed.