Australia’s online safety regulator has secured a binding commitment from Roblox to introduce stronger safeguards for children. The measures address concerns that adults could contact young users and view parts of their profiles without parental consent.
Regulator finds gaps in Roblox child safety
Australia’s eSafety Commissioner said testing earlier this year identified continuing risks for children on Roblox.
Adults could send connection requests to young Australian users without approval from a parent or carer. In addition, children and adults could view and reply to each other’s forum posts outside game environments.
The regulator also found that anyone on the platform could see children’s connections. Profiles displayed account names, avatar images, interests and connection details, with no option to limit that visibility.
Roblox agrees to new safety measures
Roblox has agreed to prevent adults from contacting unknown children without parental consent. It will also strengthen child account settings so that they are private by default.
The company must improve its reporting tools and notify users about complaint outcomes. Furthermore, an independent third-party auditor will assess whether Roblox child safety measures work as intended.
The audit will also review Roblox’s age-estimation measures. It marks the first time Australia has required this type of independent audit under the Online Safety Act.
Roblox has three months to comply
Roblox has three months to implement the agreed changes. If it fails to meet its commitments, the eSafety Commissioner may apply to the Federal Court for an order requiring compliance.
Roblox maintains that it meets its obligations under Australian law. However, it agreed to the additional protections following two years of engagement with the regulator.
The eSafety Commissioner said the changes aim to reduce the risk of grooming, sexual exploitation and other serious harms. Roblox is one of Australia’s most popular games among children, with an estimated 1.7 million Australian children using the platform.
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