Australia's internet regulator, eSafety, has reached a court-enforceable agreement with Roblox that requires the online gaming platform to fix safety problems affecting its underage users, after government testing found that adult strangers could still contact children on the site.
The tests showed that adults could approach and contact children in the game, exposing them to the risk of grooming and sexual exploitation, according to eSafety.
eSafety is Australia's online safety regulator and has been enforcing strict child protection rules on the internet, including a landmark law banning social media platforms for users under 16. Roblox is an online gaming platform popular with children and teenagers, where users can create, share and play games built by other users. The agreement, announced on Thursday, marks the latest win for the regulator's push to make online platforms safer for children.
What the Testing Found
eSafety said its tests showed that adults could send friend requests to Australian children on Roblox without parental consent, and could interact with them in forums outside the games themselves without approval from a parent or guardian.
Children's connections, profiles and other personal information were also visible to other users, the regulator said.
Three-Month Deadline for Changes
eSafety gave Roblox three months to introduce a series of measures. These include barring adults from contacting unfamiliar children without parental authorization, making children's accounts private by default, and improving its reporting systems along with the notifications sent to users about the outcome of their complaints.
Roblox, which is headquartered in San Mateo, California, must also commission an independent external audit to evaluate the effectiveness of its safety measures, including its age-estimation technology. eSafety said this was the first time it had required an external safety audit from a technology company.
Commissioner's Warning
The eSafety commissioner, Julie Inman Grant, said in a statement that Roblox could not grade its own exam.
The regulator said that if Roblox fails to honor the commitments, it can turn to the Federal Court of Australia for an order compelling the company to comply, and could pursue other legal measures.
Roblox Responds
A Roblox spokesperson said the platform had met the commitments it made to eSafety over the past 12 months and would continue working toward the shared goal of keeping Australian children safe online.
