Roblox’s Age-Based Accounting

Roblox's April 2026 announcement of Age-Based Accounts, a dual-tier system for under-16s, is examined through an interview with Tim Scott, the company's Senior Director of Public Policy EMEA, and the author's analysis. Users verify their age on entry. Adults get the full platform, and 16 and 17-year-olds get most of it minus 18+ content, with parents able to see their friends, screen time and spending. Under-16s are split into Roblox Kids (ages 5-8), limited to Minimal or Mild content with chat off by default unless a parent permits it, and Roblox Select (ages 9-15), which allows Moderate experiences and safeguarded chat. Parental controls loosen after age 12, and accounts graduate between tiers automatically on birthdays. Experiences qualify for either tier only after developer identity verification through Roblox Plus, real-time testing by 16+ users and a moderation rating. A forthcoming partnership with the International Age Rating Coalition will map ratings to local systems such as PEGI and ESRB. The rollout is scheduled for June 2026.

Scott credits improved age assurance technology for the change. More than 50% of users have completed an age check, and estimation accuracy for under-18s is roughly 1.4 years. The author considers the system more comprehensive than Epic's Cabined Accounts and believes Roblox's safety investment is sincere. He argues, however, that legal and regulatory pressure is clearly a driver, citing bans in countries including Algeria, Egypt and Iran, lawsuits including one from the Texas Attorney General, Australian scrutiny, and a $12 million Nevada settlement. The tier boundaries also align with COPPA's under-13 cutoff and the age-16 threshold favored in proposed social media bans.

The author draws three policy takeaways: compliance increasingly means adopting one jurisdiction's gold standard globally, age assurance and content rating are converging, and regulation can spur innovation. He questions whether regulators will ever deem Roblox's efforts sufficient.

The newsletter also covers Call of Duty leaving day-one Game Pass after a reported $300m cost, BAFTA's trailer removal controversy, a 15-month high in Q1 2026 games M&A (about $100bn), and union action against Build A Rocket Boy over workplace surveillance software.