Interest in Roblox is surging following headlines about two Florida siblings who were previously reported missing after they were allegedly kidnapped by a 19-year-old they met on the platform and later communicated with on Snapchat, according to law enforcement.
The 12-year-old and 15-year-old siblings were located by Georgia State Police after authorities found and stopped a vehicle connected to a suspect in the case, Martin County Sheriff John Budensiek said in a press conference on Monday.
The case has renewed concerns about online safety for children, as Roblox continues to face lawsuits, regulatory scrutiny and criticism from watchdog groups over how well it protects its youngest users.
Here's what parents and caregivers should know.
Roblox is an online gaming and creation platform where users can play millions of user-generated games, socialize with others and build their own virtual worlds.
The platform is especially popular with kids and tweens, offering experiences that range from obstacle courses and role-playing games to virtual hangouts and simulations.
Roblox describes itself as a "co-experience" platform, blending gaming, creativity and social interaction.
Because much of Roblox's content is created by users, the experiences, visuals and interactions can vary widely in tone, quality and appropriateness.
Roblox is rated for users ages 9 and up in app stores, though children younger than 9 can technically create accounts with parental permission.
The company groups users by age categories and applies different default settings based on whether an account holder is under or over 13 years old. Accounts for younger users are automatically placed under stricter communication and content settings.
In November last year, Roblox also announced plans to introduce age-estimation and verification tools tied to certain features, particularly chat and social interactions, as part of broader safety updates.
Roblox offers a suite of parental controls designed to give caregivers more visibility and authority over their child's account, including:
Experts also emphasize that technical controls work best alongside real-world conversations. Parents are encouraged to talk regularly with kids about:
Roblox has faced multiple lawsuits and investigations alleging that children have been exposed to inappropriate content, sexual material and predatory behavior on the platform.
A watchdog report warned that kids could still encounter sexualized content and adults attempting to contact minors, despite Roblox's moderation systems.
The company has said it invests heavily in automated detection tools, human moderators and safety engineering teams, and that it removes millions of policy-violating accounts and pieces of content each year.
Roblox has also announced new safety measures amid legal pressure, including tighter default settings for younger users, expanded content labeling and changes to how social features function
Roblox remains one of the most popular gaming platforms for kids, and that popularity makes safety tools, supervision and ongoing conversations essential.
For parents and caregivers, experts recommend treating Roblox like any other social platform: Understand how it works, use built-in controls and stay engaged with how children are using it.
In a statement to ABC News on Tuesday, Eliza Jacobs, senior director of product policy at Roblox, said, "Roblox is designed to be a fun, educational, engaging experience that provides opportunities for users to connect with their peers and creatively collaborate. Our commitment to the safety and well-being of our community is foundational to everything we do."
"Many children play games online, and we encourage parents to talk to their kids about the platforms they play on, the games they are playing, and online safety," Jacobs continued. "We also encourage parents to use our Parental Controls, which allow parents to link to their child's account to manage their settings and access, get insights about their activity on the platform, block specific games or users, and set screen-time and spending limits."
Jacobs noted that Roblox has "built safeguards directly into the platform" and does not allow its users to share "images, videos, or personal information in chat." She said the company dedicates "substantial resources -- including advanced screening technology and 24/7 human moderation -- to help detect and prevent inappropriate content and behavior."
"No system is perfect, which is why we are consistently evolving and launching new safety tools to help protect users and give more control to parents and caregivers," Jacobs added. "We encourage parents to visit our Family Center for more information at roblox.com/familycenter."
Editor's note: This article was updated to include comments from Roblox senior director of product policy Eliza Jacobs.
