Researchers are raising alarms about the dark side of a popular game among kids—and it’s not Minecraft
Experts describe situations they have observed in Roblox as “deeply disturbing.”
This isn’t the first time that Roblox has been under investigation. The platform has a long history of accusations of child labor exploitation and abuse. The developers have tried to address these issues with concrete measures. However, a new investigation by Revealing Reality concluded that the game poses risks to children.
“Roblox offers a diverse range of experiences.” He describes the blocky avatars, colorful settings, and various elements that make up its world. “In a short space of time, we revealed something deeply disturbing. Despite the safety features in place, adults and children can easily interact in the same virtual spaces with no effective age verification or separation.”
There is inappropriate content for minors, as well as interactions with adults.
The problem is twofold: first, there is inappropriate content for minors, and second, it is easy for strangers to interact with them. Roblox has acknowledged this issue and said that it is working hard to find a solution, but it needs the help of public authorities.
Roblox develops its own experiences, but users can also generate their own content. This allows content that is not recommended for children to flourish.
Experts conducted an experiment in which they created fictitious accounts attributed to people of different ages. They then had the accounts interact with each other and discovered that, despite the implementation of parental control tools, the tools’ effectiveness is questionable. Children as young as five years old can interact with adults while playing with almost no limitations. This occurs even though Roblox limits direct messaging to children under 13.
The research also determined that minors can access inappropriate content. For example, there was a space in which avatars appeared urinating, choosing fetish accessories, and performing suggestive and sexual positions.
While testing their avatars, the experts overheard other players’ voice chats, during which they could hear the players verbally describing sexual activities, grunting, and making kissing noises.
The current control and security options are insufficient
“The new safety features announced by Roblox last week don’t go far enough,” said Revealing Reality director Damon De Ionno. “Children can still chat with strangers not on their friends list, and with six million experiences [on the platform], often with inaccurate descriptions and ratings, how can parents be expected to moderate?”
Matt Kaufman of Roblox defended the steps they are taking: “Trust and safety are at the core of everything we do. We continually evolve our policies, technologies, and moderation efforts to protect our community, especially young people. This includes investing in advanced safety tools, working closely with experts and empowering parents and caregivers with robust controls and resources.”
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