In response to an independent report that branded Roblox a "paedophile hellscape" for children, Roblox Corporation is introducing some new parental controls. IGN obtained a copy of an email sent to parents who manage the accounts of their children in the game, which is allegedly rife with exploitation and abuse.
Previously, the extent of control a parent was allowed over a child's account amounted to setting a PIN, preventing kids from accessing content settings, removing age and spending limits, etc. This PIN system is going away, and now parents will need to create their own account and link it to that of their child. Parents will now be able to access additional information like playtime and the child's friends list from their own devices. Users under 13 will need parental permission to use specific chat features, and users under nine will need permission to view content labelled "moderate".
Short-chasing investment firm Hindenburg Research funded the report, which, amongst a whole host of nightmares, alleges that Roblox Corp has been lying to investors and inflating user numbers. Additional parental controls are a welcome result, and shining a spotlight on the situation is good and noble work; unfortunately for Hindenburg, the report doesn't appear to have moved the needle more than a few points when it comes to Roblox stock, which has since recovered to its pre-report (8th October) state.