Roblox Agrees to Strengthen Child Safety Measures in Australia

Gaming giant Roblox Corporation has agreed to introduce stricter safeguards to protect children from online grooming on its platform in Australia, the country’s online safety regulator announced on Monday.

The widely popular gaming site, which allows users to create and play games, will roll out a series of protective measures by the end of 2025, according to eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant.

Australia has been at the forefront of global child online protection, recently introducing a ban on social media access for children under 16, along with other initiatives aimed at curbing online harms.

The eSafety Commission said it raised concerns with the California-based company over risks of child grooming and its compliance with Australian industry codes and standards. Roblox responded by committing to significant changes.

“When it comes to platforms popular with children, they inevitably attract predators seeking to exploit them. Roblox is no exception and has become a common target for grooming,” Inman Grant warned.

Under the new measures, Roblox will disable direct chat in Australia unless a user’s age can be verified. The platform will also block adults from initiating conversations with children under 16.

Separately, the company announced in a blog post that it plans to introduce global age verification across its communication features by the end of this year, further restricting interactions between adults and minors.

“We share the eSafety Commission’s mission to protect children, while remaining focused on our long-term vision to connect people with optimism and civility,” a Roblox spokesperson said.

Inman Grant confirmed that she had engaged with Roblox for several months, holding discussions with the company’s chief legal officer and chief safety officer to stress the urgency of addressing child protection concerns.