Social justice advocacy organizations criticize Roblox for "silencing important voices" through the introduction of new parental controls

Update, Wednesday October 1, 2025: In response to an open letter from three advocacy groups in the gaming industry, Roblox detailed its stance regarding its recent updates on parental controls and content descriptors. The company emphasized that these changes impact only a small fraction of experiences on its platform and are designed to help parents make informed decisions for their families.

According to a Roblox representative, the company supports creativity and expression and acknowledges that families differ in how they approach discussions with their children on certain topics. The intention is to allow parents to choose what content suits their children, particularly for those under 13. Parents can decide whether to enable experiences that tackle sensitive issues via parental controls.

Background: Out Making Games, Women in Games, and BAME in Games jointly addressed Roblox in an open letter, pressing the company to reconsider guidelines on "sensitive issues." The advocacy groups argue these guidelines are regressive for creative expression and social advancement.

Earlier, Roblox updated its guidelines, informing developers of new descriptors and controls that apply to content focused on social, political, or religious matters, which can evoke strong emotions or reflect polarized perspectives.

Despite Roblox's assurance that the changes offer a choice for parents of young children concerning engagement with these themes, the advocacy groups contend that the vibrant, inclusive creative community on Roblox, flourishing since 2006, could be adversely affected. They argue the guidelines might harm marginalized communities.

The guidelines specifically mention topics like immigration, capital punishment, gun control, and issues around equality, making them subject to these new rules. By categorizing such topics as "sensitive," the platform implicitly labels them as debatable, the letter argues.

The letter supports online child safety, especially for girls, but warns that limiting educational and empowering content counteracts safety. Issues central to women's and girls' experiences shouldn't be marked as "sensitive," as doing so risks obscuring essential content for empowerment and education.

The groups argue that silencing these issues does not result in safety but in the absence of needed discourse, potentially hindering young females' participation and reinforcing negative stereotypes.

Therefore, these organizations appeal to Roblox to revise its approach, emphasizing that protective measures shouldn't compromise fundamental human rights or silence significant voices.

The statement concludes by acknowledging Roblox's development over nearly two decades, urging it not to allow policies that might unintentionally perpetuate inequalities that creative expression seeks to address.

GamesIndustry.biz has sought further comments from Roblox regarding this matter.