A major online gaming platform has announced a new policy that will restrict communication between younger users and adult strangers. The move comes as the company faces increasing legal pressure and public scrutiny over allegations that its platform has been used to exploit minors.
Starting next month, the platform will begin rolling out a system that uses facial age estimation technology to group users into broad age categories. The stated goal is to prevent children from engaging in direct chat with adults they do not know offline. Communication will be limited to users within similar age ranges, such as grouping younger children with other minors, while separating them from adult user pools.
The company compared the new structure to school grade levels, aiming to create digital environments where users interact primarily with peers. The feature will launch initially in several countries before a global expansion early next year. Company officials emphasized that the images used for the brief age check will not be stored.
In a statement, a senior safety executive for the platform described the change as an effort to build user trust and confidence. He expressed a hope that the industry would adopt similar protective measures for young people online.
This policy shift unfolds against a backdrop of legal challenges. Several lawsuits have been filed in recent months, accusing the platform of enabling predatory behavior. The complaints allege that the service’s design made children vulnerable to adults posing as peers, leading to incidents of manipulation and exploitation. One filed case involves a teenage girl who, according to the claim, was coerced into sending explicit images after being contacted by an adult predator on the platform.
The company has stated that user safety is a priority, noting its existing strict policies which include chat limitations for younger accounts and filters to block personal information sharing. A spokesperson acknowledged that no system is flawless but pointed to numerous safety initiatives launched this year as evidence of their commitment to improvement.
Child safety advocates have responded to the announcement with cautious scrutiny. One prominent campaigner noted that while setting a new industry standard is a positive aim, the platform has a history of allowing easy contact between adults and children. The advocate urged all gaming companies to place their responsibilities to young users at the core of their services.
The platform, which hosts millions of daily players, remains immensely popular despite these controversies. The introduction of age-gated communication represents one of its most significant steps to date in addressing long-standing safety concerns.