Online game Roblox to add voice chat
Kid-friendly online gaming platform Roblox said it is planning to introduce a “safe” voice chat option for players in the future.
During the company’s most recent investor call, Roblox vice president of engineering Adam Miller discussed the popularity of text communications on the platform, noting as of Dec. 31, 2020, Roblox had processed more than 2 billion chat messages daily.
“In the future, we expect to open up communication through safe voice chat,” said Miller.
Roblox has emerged as a popular online destination, particularly for kids. About 56% of the platform’s 32.6 million daily active users are younger than the age of 13.
When a child enrolls for an account on Roblox, text chat settings are automatically restricted so kids can only send messages to other players they have accepted as friends, according to a FAQ on Roblox’s website.
Parents also can disable the chat function.
A big concern with introducing voice chat is potentially exposing players to profanity or other inappropriate language. However, Roblox could introduce privacy settings where younger players are limited to only voice chat with their friends.
Roblox says it currently employs 2,300 trust and safety professionals that help screen for inappropriate content on the platform.