Roblox, the video game company, announced on Monday that it will enhance safety protocols for its users under the age of 13. This includes permanently eliminating their ability to send messages to other users outside of games on the platform.

Nevertheless, these younger users will still be able to communicate with others while playing games, provided they have their parents’ permission.

The gaming platform, which boasted approximately 89 million users last quarter, stated that it will enable parents and guardians to oversee their child’s Roblox account remotely, monitor friend lists, impose spending limits, and regulate screen time usage.

Roblox has been scrutinized over allegations of child exploitation on its platform.

In August, Turkey blocked access to Roblox following a court ruling due to prosecutors’ concerns about potentially harmful user-generated content.

A lawsuit filed in San Francisco in 2022 accused Roblox of allowing adult men to exploit a girl from California, claiming it encouraged her to consume alcohol, misuse prescription drugs, and share inappropriate photos.

The company also introduced a new feature that restricts users under the age of 13 to view public broadcast messages only within games or experiences.

Roblox plans to change its content labeling from age-based systems to new descriptors ranging from “Minimal” to “Restricted,” which will indicate the type of content that users might encounter. By default, users under nine will only have access to games marked as “Minimal” or “Mild.”

Under the new rules, users younger than 13 will be prohibited from searching for, discovering, or playing experiences that are not labeled. The company emphasized that Restricted content will remain off-limits until users turn 17 and verify their age.

Roblox’s stock price closed at $51.03, rising by 0.30 on Monday.