Australia's Minister for Communications has called on Roblox to implement stricter safety measures following reports of child grooming on the platform, while several countries have already banned it.
Today (10 Feb), Australia's Minister for Communications revealed she has sent a letter to Roblox, a popular game with around 100 million daily users worldwide, urging an urgent meeting after reports of exploitation of children under 13, who make up 40% of the total user base.
A 2024 report by Hindenburg Research described the platform as a 'hellscape for X-rated pedophiles,' exposing children to pornography and grooming. Public complaints have also pointed to the company's lack of strict measures to protect children from violent and sexual content on the platform.
Australia's Communications Minister, Anika Wells, sent a letter to Roblox executives demanding an urgent meeting to clarify what measures the company will take to protect children from online dangers. She told foreign media, "Everyone would feel disgusted, as I do, knowing that children as young as four or five are exposed to violent and pornographic images" through this platform. She also asked the Australian Online Safety Commission, the country's internet regulator, to consider implementing "urgent measures" against Roblox.
Last year, Roblox announced plans to implement mandatory facial recognition along with ID verification for players accessing chat features. In a statement to foreign media, the company expressed willingness to discuss measures and procedures to maintain safety in its online community, affirming it has "strong safety policies and processes to protect users, outperforming many other platforms."
Roblox is among several platforms, including Discord, WhatsApp, and Lego Play, exempt from Australia's ban on social media access for users under 16 on platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok, which came into effect on 10 December last year.
Roblox has already been banned in countries such as Qatar, Iraq, and Turkey due to concerns over child user safety. In the United States, Texas and Louisiana have filed lawsuits against Roblox for the same reasons.
Source: AFP
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