Roblox: Security is More Than a Game

When discussing safety and security in video games, we often focus on avoiding the disclosure of personal information, being cautious with online purchases, and not befriending strangers.

However, do players truly understand the broader privacy and security risks within gaming? With its rapid growth since 2021, Roblox has become one of the most popular games in 2025, raising important questions about digital safety in virtual worlds.

About Roblox

Roblox was first developed in 2004 and initially released under a different name before being rebranded in 2005. Designed as a free online platform, it allows users to interact and play virtual games together. The developers actively encourage community feedback and ideas to help the game evolve and improve. Roblox eventually went public on the New York Stock Exchange in 2021.

As of February 28, 2025, Roblox has a net worth of $42.47 billion USD. By the fourth quarter of 2024, the platform reported over 84.3 million daily active users worldwide.

According to a 2025 LinkedIn article, 60% of Roblox users are over 13 years old, while 39.1% are 13 or younger. Which means, 32,967,300 users are the age of 13 or younger.

Privacy Regulations

Depending on the country you live in, regulations on user data collection vary. In the United States, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) enforces the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA). COPPA mandates that websites and online services must obtain verifiable parental consent before collecting, using, distributing, or handling any personal data from children under 13.

When registering for an online service like Roblox, users are required to enter their birthdate during account creation. To verify an age of 18 or older, Roblox requires ID verification or a valid credit card.

Roblox has also implemented age-based restrictions to protect younger users. For those 9 and under or 13 and younger, certain interactions are limited, including chat messages, voice communication, gameplay interactions, and additional parental controls that can be set by parents.

Understanding How Children Data is Used

Privacy policies are often overlooked or misunderstood, yet they play a crucial role in how personal data is collected, used, and shared. As a parent, it’s essential to understand where your child's data is going and how it’s being used. This information contributes to an online portfolio that shapes their digital experiences as they grow.

Poor data handling can lead to misinformation, targeted ads, and personal data being sold to third parties, increasing the risk of identity theft or fraud. Once data is shared with another service, the original platform loses control over how it is stored, used, or resold.

Children’s privacy is particularly vulnerable. There have been cases where leaked data has been exploited by predators to manipulate or track minors, often through unprotected digital platforms. There’s a reason data privacy laws exist. They act as a seatbelt for your digital safety, protecting users from exploitation and ensuring greater security in an increasingly connected world.

What Roblox is Doing With Your Child's Online Data

The following research was conducted using a FireFox extension created by The University of Austin Texas.

For the data collection of children 13 and under, Roblox claims they do not knowingly collect Personally Identifiable Information (PII) of children and a compromised finding that you cannot control your data. However, you can find the collected layman's terms found within the privacy policy:

• Roblox does not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13.

• If you're under 13, your account is automatically set to stricter privacy settings. This means some features like social media plug-ins and certain ads are disabled.

• Parents can manage their child’s account by providing an email, which Roblox may use to send updates or allow parents to adjust settings.

• Roblox collects basic information at sign-up (like date of birth, username, password, and optional gender).

• Once a child turns 13, they get access to more features, such as voice chat and social sharing.

• Roblox may share your data with third-party service providers (companies they hire to help run the platform), but they say those companies are only allowed to use the data for Roblox-related tasks.

• Your data may be sent to other countries, including places with weaker privacy laws.

• Roblox works with law enforcement if necessary, sharing data when legally required or if there’s a safety concern.

• They say they don’t use children’s personal information for advertising or marketing.

Below could be potential risks identified with their privacy policy:

• Data Breaches: If Roblox's servers are hacked, user data, including kids’ accounts and parent emails, could be exposed. This has happened historically with third-party security issues, the article can be found here.

• Third-Party Sharing: Roblox shares information with outside companies to run its services. While they claim these companies only use it for Roblox-related tasks, once data is shared, there's no 100% guarantee it won’t be misused or leaked.

• Changing Age Settings: If a user changes their birthday to make themselves appear older, they can bypass restrictions and access features meant for teens or adults.

• Location Tracking Risks: Some demographic data (like general location) may be collected, which could raise concerns if misused by third parties.

• Predators & Online Threats: While Roblox monitors content, some inappropriate behavior can still slip through, making it crucial for parents to stay involved.

What Parents Can Do

It is important to educate yourself so you know how to educate your family on safe usage. Roblox does a great job enforcing privacy protections, but parents should always stay cautious and to be engaged with what their minors are doing online.

Here are easy steps you can incorporate to ensure you and your child's privacy is secure:

1. Setup parental controls and ensure your child is educated as to why they are important. A good analogy is, you don't let strangers in your home it is the same concept online.

2. Limit necessary social interactions. Restrict features like chatting, messaging, voice, or interacting with strangers.

3. Review friends list and chat messages. This can ensure those who your child is interacting with are known in real life.

4. Add a parent or guardian's email address to receive notifications about the child's account. This will ensure if any suspicious or security concerns are found.

5. Teach your child about online sharing. This includes to avoid sharing PII such as their name, where they go to school, addresses, phone numbers, or anything that can relate to the child being found in real life.

6. Show your child how to report inappropriate behavior and what that can look like.