Alabama has reached a $12.2 million settlement with gaming platform Roblox, marking one of the first agreements of its kind in the nation and establishing new standards for online child safety.

Attorney General Steve Marshall announced the agreement April 21 in a news release, saying the funds will be directed toward hiring and supporting school resource officers statewide through the Attorney General’s Safe School Initiative.

“Alabama stepped in where others failed to act. This settlement sends a clear message to every platform operating in this space — you cannot turn a blind eye to the exploitation of children and expect to avoid consequences,” Marshall said in the release. “We have now established a framework that other states can and should use. Platforms that host child consumers must do their part to give parents a fighting chance to shield their children from harm. While parents will always play the primary role in protecting their children online, we are raising the bar on what we expect from gaming platforms — parents need a partner, not a black box. This is the beginning of a new standard, and Alabama will aggressively enforce it.”

The agreement requires Roblox to implement stricter safeguards aimed at limiting children’s exposure to inappropriate content and online threats. All users will be subject to age verification measures, including facial age estimation technology and government-issued identification. The platform will also monitor user behavior to flag accounts that may have been assigned incorrect ages, while addressing privacy concerns tied to verification processes.

Parental oversight will expand significantly under the settlement. Parents will gain increased control over who their children communicate with, what games they access and whether they can transfer in-game currency, known as Robux, to other users. Transactions from adults outside a child’s trusted network can be restricted. For minors without a linked parent account, default safety settings will automatically apply.

Communication rules will also tighten, the release said. Users under 16 will be unable to chat with adults unless designated as “trusted friends.” For children under 13, that designation requires parental consent. Users ages 13 to 15 may add trusted friends through QR codes or phone contact imports unless a parent opts out.

In a move aimed at aiding law enforcement, Roblox agreed to prohibit encrypted communication involving minors. Officials said unencrypted messaging will make it easier to detect and investigate child exploitation, trafficking and the spread of harmful content.

The company also committed to conducting workshops and awareness campaigns across Alabama for educators and law enforcement. A dedicated liaison will be established to streamline communication with state authorities and expedite responses to safety concerns.

Marshall was joined at the announcement by Chief Counsel Katherine Robertson and a broad group of education and law enforcement leaders. Attendees included representatives from Ivy Classical Academy, Albertville City Schools and multiple law enforcement organizations such as the National Association of School Resource Officers and the Alabama Association of School Resource Officers.

According to the release, the settlement follows months of negotiations handled internally by the Attorney General’s Office, allowing Alabama to retain 100% of the recovered funds without outside legal fees. A “most favored nation” clause ensures the state will benefit from any stronger terms Roblox may agree to with other states in the future.

Roblox, one of the world’s largest online gaming platforms with millions of young users, has faced increasing scrutiny nationwide over child safety concerns, including exposure to inappropriate content and online exploitation risks. Alabama’s agreement signals growing pressure on tech companies to adopt stricter safeguards for minors.

Residents experiencing issues with the platform can contact the Attorney General’s Office at Roblox@AlabamaAG.Gov. The full settlement agreement is available at www.alabamaag.gov.