The Albanese Government is putting Roblox on notice amid serious reports of child safety risks on popular online gaming platform.

Minister for Communications Anika Wells has written to Roblox requesting an urgent meeting and expressing grave concern over reports children are being approached and groomed by predators on the platform.

The Government is also alarmed by claims children are being exposed to graphic and gratuitous content on Roblox and is seeking information on the steps the platform is taking to address this.

In addition, the Minister has written to the eSafety Commissioner seeking her advice on what powers and tools can be ramped up to address these harms as well as any short-term measures that can be introduced to mitigate these issues.  

She has also sought advice from the Classification Board on whether Roblox’s PG classification remains appropriate, noting the game was last classified in 2018, and any further measures that could be taken.

Quotes attributable to Minister for Communications, Anika Wells:

“The safety of children online is non-negotiable.

“The reports we’ve been hearing about children being exposed to graphic content on Roblox, and predators actively using the platform to groom young people, are horrendous. Something must be done – now.

“Australian parents and children expect more from Roblox. They can and must do more to protect kids, and when we meet I’ll be asking how they propose to do that.

“These sorts of harms show why we need a digital duty of care, which will place the onus on digital platforms to proactively keep their users, particularly children, safe.

“Alongside our world-leading social media minimum age, legislating a digital duty of care shows how serious we are about keeping our kids safe and making sure tech platforms – some of the most powerful companies in the word – step up to the plate.

“We have some of the strongest online safety laws in the world, but our work is not done. The internet is ever-evolving, and so too is our response.”