Roblox is one of the most popular platforms in the world, but there are increasing concerns over the ability for users to message each other directly through games, with young children being lured off-platform and exposed to disturbing content.
Roblox is played by 90 million users daily but in the dark corners of chat rooms, danger lurks for young players Roblox is played by 90 million users daily but in the dark corners of chat rooms, danger lurks for young playersA British mother says her nine-year-old daughter was befriended by a predator on Roblox before being bombarded with sexually graphic videos, photos and messages.
The messages seen by 7.30 begin by describing the nine-year-old as "cute" before rapidly becoming graphic with messages simulating sex.Other messages seen by 7.30 were too graphic to publish. "She told me that she felt sick to the stomach, and if you mention it now, she just says, 'Let's not talk about it'," the woman told 7.30.Inside a Roblox mini-game or experience, there are thousands of players of all ages mingling and chatting.
Mr Kaufman said Roblox takes a multi-tiered approach to safety and uses AI and automation to review all content that is uploaded to the platform. "Our youngest users can still communicate with other players in a game. That's often part of just playing the game. It's like coordinating gameplay. You have teams and you're doing all kinds of stuff," Mr Kaufman said.
In a statement to 7.30, a spokesperson for Communications Minister Michelle Rowland said: "Gaming and messaging apps are not in scope of the legislation. Bill 2024)."Kirra Pendergast is an online safety educator and has spoken to students at more than 800 schools."I think they need to be pulled up by the government. I would like the Australian eSafety Commissioner to pull Roblox in and say, 'You are a social media platform.
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