LAS VEGAS (FOX5) — Nevada’s attorney general says the state has struck a first-of-its-kind deal with gaming giant Roblox to better protect kids online and bring millions into youth programs.
Attorney General Aaron Ford announced the settlement his office negotiated with Roblox after a 2024 investigation into child safety on the platform.
He says the company will roll out strict age-verification, tighter parental controls, limits on what younger users can see and who they can chat with, and a ban on encrypted messaging involving minors so law enforcement can better track predators.
“This settlement will create a safer environment for our children online,” Ford said. “I hope that it will serve as a bellwether for how online interactive platforms allow our state’s youth to use the products.”
According to AG Ford, the settlement incorporated elements from the Nevada Youth Online Safety Act which was sponsored by his office during the 2024 legislative session.
What Nevada’s Roblox settlement would change for kids’ safety on the platform:
- Roblox would help ensure minors only see age-appropriate content.
- Use of age estimation technology plus confirmation of government-issued ID.
- Roblox would continuously monitor behavioral signals to flag accounts that may have been mis-aged or falsely aged.
- Parents would get expanded controls over their child’s experience, including who they can communicate with and which games they can play.
- If no parent account is linked, Roblox would default minors into a more protective content mode, limiting features for users 16 and under whose ages aren’t validated.
- All minor accounts would be blocked from restricted or adult-rated content.
- To reduce adult-minor contact, adults and users under 16 wouldn’t be able to chat unless they are trusted friends.
- Adding “trusted friends” for younger users would be tighter by design: accounts under age 16 may need parental consent, and ages 13–15 would typically add trusted friends via QR code or phone contact importer to encourage real-world connections.
- Users under 18 would see a warning the first time they enter a private chat, reminding them to be cautious about strangers.
- Messages involving minors would not be encrypted, keeping them accessible for safety review and potential law-enforcement investigations.
- Off-platform notifications would be curbed to protect sleep and well-being for kids under 13, and during sleep hours, notifications will not be permitted for ages 13–18.
AG Ford says Roblox will also spend about $12 million over the next few years, including $10 million for “screen-free” youth programs in Nevada, plus money for a law enforcement liaison and an online-safety awareness campaign.
Ford says he hopes other social media and gaming companies follow Roblox’s lead, but promises he’ll keep suing those that don’t.
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