Nov 18 (Reuters) - Video game maker Roblox ( RBLX ) said

on Monday that it is rolling out safety measures to prevent

users under 13 from directly messaging others without parental

consent.

The gaming platform, which reported around 89 million users

last quarter, said it will allow parents and caregivers to

remotely manage their child's Roblox ( RBLX ) account, view friend lists,

set spending controls, and manage screen time.

Roblox ( RBLX ) has faced claims of child abuse on its platform.

In August, Turkey blocked access to Roblox ( RBLX ) following a court

order, as prosecutors investigated concerns about user-generated

content potentially leading to abuse.

A 2022

lawsuit filed in San Francisco

claimed that Roblox ( RBLX ) facilitated the sexual and financial

exploitation of a California girl by adult men, allegedly

encouraging her to drink, abuse prescription drugs, and share

sexually explicit photos.

The company said it has also introduced a built-in

setting that will let users under the age of 13 access public

broadcast messages only within games or experiences.

Roblox ( RBLX ) will replace age-based content labels with

descriptors ranging from "Minimal" to "Restricted," indicating

the type of content users can expect. By default, users under

nine can only access games labeled "Minimal" or "Mild."

These new restrictions will also prevent users under 13 from

searching, discovering, or playing unlabeled experiences, the

company said.

Restricted content will remain inaccessible until a user is

at least 17 years old and has verified their age.