Roblox to tighten privacy after Australian regulator finds adult contact with minors
Roblox has agreed to overhaul its privacy settings after Australia’s eSafety commissioner discovered adults could reach child users without parental consent.
Australia’s eSafety commissioner identified that Roblox allowed adults to see and message child accounts without parental approval, including exposure of profile details and forum interactions. In response, Roblox pledged to make under-16 accounts private by default, block adult-to-child contact without consent, and hire an independent auditor to evaluate its age-estimation and safety mechanisms within a three-month period.
The company had previously introduced privacy changes in December after reports of grooming and exposure to extremist or violent content, yet the regulator said the platform may still fall short of the Online Safety Act’s requirements. Commissioner Julie Inman Grant highlighted that roughly 1.7 million Australian children use Roblox and warned that the regulator could apply to a federal court for an enforcement order if the firm fails to comply.
Roblox stated it has been in constructive dialogue with eSafety and has fulfilled earlier safety commitments. Although Roblox was exempt from the recent under-16 social-media ban, the commissioner did not rule out future inclusion if its social features become its dominant purpose.
Why it matters
Ensuring safe online spaces for millions of Australian children using Roblox is crucial for their protection from unwanted adult contact.
How the sides frame it
MODERATE AGREEMENTLeft-leaning coverage highlights Roblox’s promised privacy changes and the regulator’s concerns about child safety, while centrist coverage stresses the court-enforceable undertaking and the regulator’s enforcement powers.
LEFT
Frames the story as Roblox responding to regulator-identified safety gaps by tightening privacy and pledging audits.
CENTER
Frames the story as the regulator imposing a legally binding undertaking and audits to enforce child-safety rules.
The left emphasises
- Roblox allowed adults to see and message child accounts without parental approval
- Roblox pledged to make under-16 accounts private by default and block adult-to-child contact
- Commissioner Julie Inman Grant warned that about 1.7 million Australian children use Roblox
In this story
