Child Protection
Ongoing coverage on Child Protection.
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Roblox agrees to a $12 million settlement with Nevada
Roblox has reached a $12 million settlement with Nevada to avoid a trial concerning allegations of facilitating child exploitation. The agreement includes $10 million for children's support programs and $2.5 million for online safety initiatives. Roblox will also implement enhanced safety protocols, including age verification and stricter messaging rules for minors.
Roblox Dev Agrees To Pay $12 Million To "Create A Safer Environment" For Children Online
Roblox Corp. has agreed to pay over $12 million to the state of Nevada to enhance child online safety measures. This settlement, which includes funding for organizations like the Boys & Girls Club and an online safety awareness campaign, aims to create a safer digital environment for children. The agreement comes as other states have filed lawsuits against Roblox for insufficient child safeguarding.
Roblox launches new age-based accounts and expanded parental controls "to build age-appropriate experiences for all"
Roblox is introducing new age-based account tiers for minors, including Roblox Kids (ages 5-8) and Roblox Select (ages 9-15), along with expanded parental controls. These features aim to create age-appropriate experiences by aligning content access, communication settings, and safety measures with user age. The platform is also implementing an ongoing game selection process for users under 16 and enhancing parental tools for managing content ratings, screen time, and spending.
Austria is pursuing a social media ban for kids under 14
Austria is introducing a comprehensive set of measures to protect minors from social media harms, including a ban for children under 14. An official bill is expected by the end of June, with improved media literacy and clear rules for platforms also planned. This initiative follows similar actions or considerations in countries like Australia, Spain, the UK, and Indonesia.
The EU is investigating Snapchat over possible child protection breaches
The European Union has launched a formal investigation into Snapchat for potential breaches of the Digital Services Act concerning child protection. Regulators are examining whether the platform adequately safeguards minors from grooming, illegal drug access, and age-inappropriate content, questioning the effectiveness of its age verification system. The EU is also investigating reporting mechanisms for illegal content and accounts, and how user data is recommended.
Valve sued by The Performing Right Society for allegedly using its members musical works "without permission"
The Performing Right Society (PRS) has sued Valve, alleging the unauthorized use of copyrighted music on the Steam platform. PRS claims Valve has never obtained a license for music from its members, which includes songs featured in titles like Forza Horizon, EA FC, and Grand Theft Auto. Separately, Roblox has launched two new developer programs, Incubator and Jumpstart, to support creators in building and scaling games on its platform, while also highlighting growth opportunities within its older user demographic.
Roblox introduces real-time AI-powered chat rephraser for inappropriate language
Roblox has implemented a new AI-powered feature that rephrases inappropriate language in real-time, replacing censored text with more suitable alternatives instead of hash signs. This system, initially targeting profanity, aims to improve chat civility and user experience, with penalties still in place for policy violations. The feature is available for age-verified users in similar age groups across all supported languages.
COPPA 2.0 passes the Senate again, unanimously this time
The US Senate has unanimously passed the Children and Teens’ Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA 2.0), which aims to enhance online protections for minors by preventing platforms from collecting their personal data without consent. This bipartisan bill, a modernized version of the 1998 act, seeks to address current online activities like targeted advertising. While it has passed the Senate multiple times, it has yet to clear the House of Representatives, facing opposition from industry groups like NetChoice.