Animal Jam games encourage players to “meet and chat with new friends” online (who they may or may not know personally). Whilst it is possible to limit how players can communicate on Animal Jam, it is not possible to disable the in-game chat functionality altogether. Players can also purchase Membership Gift Certificates, Sapphires and Diamonds, which give them access to exclusive content and features e.g. dens, pets or armour. Players can exchange (‘trade’) their animals with another player, to get an animal they want or one that is rare.
Parental controls features are available on Animal Jam games. To activate parental controls, the child must share their parent’s email address in the settings menu. When the parent receives an email from Animal Jam, they can access the ‘AJ Parent Tool’ to monitor their child’s activity and manage settings in their child’s account such as trading or sending gifts to other players. In the chat settings, if they select ‘Bubble Chat’, their child can only select pre-written phrases to send to others. Children can block and report other users. Additional safety settings (e.g. blocking in-game purchasing) may be available on the gaming platform being used to play Animal Jam games on e.g. iOS.
