Online gaming platform Roblox has banned kids from “social hangout” spaces — areas that feature communication through voice chat or text and offer “free-form 2D user creation” experiences where users can do things like share drawings. Roblox has also added safeguards to prevent those under the age of 13 from playing, searching or discovering unrated games. Roblox has imposed the restrictions following allegations that it has failed to protect its younger users. This is the latest such update by a string of social platforms that have imposed guardrails designed to protect young users as lawmakers turn up the heat on child online safety.

“Roblox games that replicate hangout spaces, like clubs or discussion forums, will be off-limits for preteens,” Bloomberg reports.

The social hangout change goes into effect November 18. Roblox defines “hangout experiences” as “things like vibe games, clubs, socializing and supportive spaces where the primary theme or purpose of the experience is to communicate (e.g. in text or voice chat) with other users as yourself.”

The restriction “does not include role-playing or real-life simulation experiences where users adopt a different role or are provided with items to role-play with,” Roblox explains in a developer forum post.

“There have been multiple recent stories about Roblox’ allegedly poor protections for children,” writes The Verge, noting that “in October, the company announced changes for pre-teen users and a new type of account to let parents manage their kids on Roblox.”

Beginning December 3, unrated experiences will be turned off by default for users under the age of 13 and Roblox will begin filtering all unrated experiences out of search and recommendations for that group. Roblox is also requiring all creators to “complete a questionnaire for experiences for users under 13,” according to the company.

Creators will be monitored for accuracy on information such as thumbnail, title and description on their experience details page and must meet either the “All Ages” or “9+” age recommendations to be available to youngsters. Roblox will begin enforcing that requirement next year.

“Since 2018, U.S. police have arrested more than two dozen people accused of abusing or abducting victims they met or groomed on Roblox,” reports Bloomberg, noting that the platform has “nearly 90 million daily users,” about 40 percent of them under 13.

“We’re constantly strengthening our safety systems and policies — we shipped over 30 improvements this year and we have more to come,” spokesperson Juliet Chaitin-Lefcourt said in a statement to The Verge, adding that “at Roblox, we’re constantly innovating Safety and we’ll never stop.”