An undercover investigation into the online gaming platform Roblox has revealed serious safety concerns, with a journalist reporting that her child avatar was sexually assaulted, cyberbullied, and subjected to virtual excrement within a week – despite activating parental controls.
Writing for a major publication, the journalist created an account as an eight-year-old girl and explored popular games such as 'Dress to Impress', which has had over six billion visits since its launch in November 2023. She described her avatar as a 'grey Barbie doll' with cleavage and high heels, and discovered secret areas including a 'meat room' resembling a uterus and a dungeon with a woman in a cage.
Australia's eSafety commissioner, Julie Inman Grant, said Roblox would not be captured by the country's new social media ban but remains 'on the line' as the ban is continually assessed. 'We're using other tools in our arsenal to keep these other platforms safer,' she warned.
Roblox boasts over 100 million daily active users, nearly half of whom are children under 13. The investigation highlights the inadequacy of existing safeguards and calls for improved protections on the platform.
