Roblox and Online Safety
Roblox is a growing online gaming platform. Its audience of young users is large. There have been a number of reports concerning the platform’s child online safety measures. This includes risk to inappropriate and explicit content on the game, and critics allege it leaves children vulnerable to predators.
The platform allows users to play games other users design and to design their own. The game allows for socialization between users because it is an interactive experience. The game also has a virtual economy that lets users buy, sell, and trade in game items using currency (Robux).
Allegedly Insufficient Child Online Safety Measures for
Throughout the years, some expressed concern regarding the platform’s online safety risks for young users. The age demographic being so young makes safety a major concern for parents and guardians. Older users on the Roblox, including potential pedophiles may be grooming, exploiting, and sharing child pornography on the platform.
Allegations claim Roblox has problems with their child online safety measures, or lack thereof. Some point to inappropriate and violent content. They claim Roblox has a history of ineffective upfront screening, which allows for dangerous sexual predators to communicate with children. Such reports compelled Roblox to update their child safety measures to create a safer environment for their younger audience.
Roblox Child Safety Updates
Roblox has made updates to their parental controls and default settings. Now, parents can look over their child’s account using parent privileges.
Parent privileges let parents link their own account to their child’s. They can use their own devices to view and update parent controls, as well as stay up to date on how much time their child is spending on the platform and any friends they are interacting with. But all of this shifts Roblox’s duty to parents.
Another update Roblox is implementing is maturity settings into their gaming platform. Before, Roblox was labeling experiences based on age. This change allows for users to better understand what to expect in their experience. These guidelines are called Content Labels. This update allows for parents to be fully aware of what content their children will have access to. Yet again, this appears to shift the burden to the users; it is not proactively monitoring, detecting, and preventing inappropriate conduct.
Roblox is also adding default settings for users under 13 years of age. These users need their parents’ permission for Roblox’s chat feature and cannot connect with users who are not in their specific experience. Children under nine also need permission to play in “Moderate” mode. This mode may contain violence as well as mature language, and jokes. Why should permission even be permissible is an open question.
This change is important for the gaming platforms online safety. Parents must set up their own Roblox account for their young children to play. Hopefully this will result in greater online safety. We doubt it will solve the problem.
What This Means for Roblox’s Online Safety Moving Forward
These updates are a step for Roblox. However, they are not enough, and there are children who have already suffered consequences. Roblox needs to take accountability for their role in allowing young children to be exposed to dangerous people and content.
What Else Can They Do?
There is more Roblox can do to protect their users. They can educate users and parents by providing resources and guidance on online safety. Understanding the risks that come with online gaming platforms are important for users of all ages. Roblox can also partner with child safety organizations. Getting advice from experts can provide valuable insights and strategies to bolster safety measures.
Education and information disclosure is one way to mitigate risk. Another is proactive screening and monitoring. Certain users and content simply shouldn’t appear on the platform. When people engage in improper conduct, Roblox should correct it immediately. Recent reports detail things that could be but are not being done.
KBA Attorneys Believes That Online Safety is an Important Issue
At KBA Attorneys, we care about this issue deeply. Many of our attorneys have children and understand the importance of keeping them safe online. We have written about this topic before, and will continue to do more research. Read some of our latest blogs on this growing issue.
Unmasking the Dangers of Roblox: A Growing Concern Over Child Exploitation
If a platform like Roblox has harmed your child, our team has the resources to help. Contact us today to learn more about how we can help.