Australian Government Demands Review of Roblox's PG Rating Amid Child Safety Crisis
Australia's eSafety Commissioner has formally notified Roblox that it intends to rigorously test the platform's promises regarding online child protection. This decisive action follows a series of deeply concerning reports about children being exposed to harmful material and predatory behaviour within the popular gaming service.
Minister Alarmed by Reports of Grooming and Explicit Content
Communications Minister Anika Wells has expressed profound alarm over media investigations revealing that children can access adult-oriented spaces containing explicit sexual content on Roblox. In a strongly worded letter to the company, Wells highlighted "ongoing reports and concerns about children being approached and groomed by predators, who actively seek to exploit their curiosity and innocence."
The minister has urgently requested a meeting with Roblox executives and has separately written to the Australian Classification Board to formally question whether the platform's current PG rating remains appropriate given these serious allegations.
Chilling Guardian Investigation Reveals Virtual Harassment
The government's intervention comes after Guardian Australia published a disturbing investigation last November documenting a week of virtual sexual harassment and violence experienced while playing as an eight-year-old girl avatar. The reporter documented being:
- Given a sexualised avatar without consent
- Subjected to relentless cyberbullying
- Aggressively killed within the game environment
- Virtually sexually assaulted
- Experiencing simulated defecation upon their avatar
All these violations occurred despite parental control settings being properly activated, raising serious questions about the effectiveness of Roblox's existing safety measures.
Regulatory Gap in Social Media Ban
While Australia's recent under-16s social media ban encompassed platforms like Instagram, Snapchat, YouTube, and Kick, gaming services including Roblox were notably excluded from these restrictions. Minister Wells and her department are now actively investigating alternative regulatory mechanisms to address safety concerns on gaming platforms that currently fall outside existing legislation.
eSafety Commissioner to Test Roblox's Safety Commitments
eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant has confirmed her office has written to Roblox outlining plans to test the platform's compliance with previously made safety commitments, including:
- Making accounts for users under 16 private by default
- Implementing new tools to prevent adult users from contacting children
- Restricting chat features to enhance protection
"We remain highly concerned by ongoing reports regarding the exploitation of children on the Roblox service, and exposure to harmful material," Inman Grant stated. Following this testing phase, the eSafety office has indicated it "may take further action under the Online Safety Act" if compliance is found lacking.
Queensland Grooming Case Highlights Platform Vulnerabilities
Minister Wells specifically referenced recent charges laid against a Queensland man accused of grooming hundreds of children across multiple platforms including Roblox, Fortnite, and Snapchat. This case underscores the vulnerability of young users on gaming platforms that predators increasingly exploit.
While acknowledging that Roblox has previously collaborated with the eSafety Commissioner on additional safety measures, Wells emphasised that continuing issues make the current situation "untenable" and that these concerns resonate deeply with Australian parents and carers nationwide.
Roblox has not yet responded to the minister's correspondence, but the combined pressure from both the communications ministry and the independent eSafety Commissioner signals a significant escalation in Australia's approach to regulating online child safety in gaming environments.
