Dutch gov't to investigate gaming platform Roblox over child safety, grooming concerns
The Dutch government will review safety risks for children on the online gaming platform Roblox, the Ministry of the Interior confirmed after questions from NOS.
The government plans to conduct a Child Rights Impact Assessment of Roblox, evaluating the platform’s advantages and risks for children. This assessment method has previously been applied to Instagram, Snapchat, and TikTok.
The platform, which allows users to play games in a shared digital world, has tens of millions of users worldwide, many of them children. In recent years, Roblox has faced scrutiny over violent and sexual content, as well as scams targeting children. Reports have emerged of users being pressured for money or sexually exploited through the platform’s chat functions.
In the United States, the state of Louisiana has filed a lawsuit against Roblox for persistent safety issues. An American law firm has also pursued legal action on behalf of parents whose children were affected.
Caretaker State Secretary Van Marum (BBB) of the Interior told NOS Jeugdjournaal, “Online learning, relaxing, and connecting are very valuable for children, but there is also a downside: bullying, shocking images, unwanted contacts, and health problems from too much screen time.”
Roblox has introduced safety measures, including requiring children to verify they are 13 or older through facial scans before they can chat, and adding features designed to protect children while giving parents more oversight. However, these measures can reportedly be bypassed if children misrepresent their age or use another person’s face for verification.
A Roblox spokesperson told NOS, “We have rules about what people can say, create, and how they should behave. If we notice rules are broken, we warn, block, or fully disable an account.” Users, including children, can report concerns via a “report abuse” button.
