eSafeKids

Is Roblox really trying to keep younger children safe?

In my opinion, this change does not recognise the importance of age-appropriate environments, developmental differences or the need to reduce unnecessary risk for children.

Children and teenagers are at very different developmental stages.

What may feel socially acceptable, emotionally manageable or age-appropriate for a 15 year old can be confusing, overwhelming or unsafe for a younger child.

The issue isn’t that all teenagers are unsafe. It’s that younger children need digital environments with stronger safeguards, slower social dynamics and lower exposure to risks such as inappropriate conversations, grooming, bullying, sexualised content and harmful behavioural influences.

Anyone else think Roblox needs to try again?

In 2023 the Australian eSafety Commissioner requested some of the world largest technology companies to report what they were doing about child sexual abuse material appearing on their platforms.

X failed to comply but has finally admitted wrong doing and Australia’s Federal Court has ordered X pay a fine of $650,000 + costs.

Another example of how little ‘Big Tech’ cares about children and one of the most abhorrent forms of online harm.

A Digital Duty of Care would see the responsibility for managing online harms shift to ‘Big Tech’ companies, this is long overdue but we’re getting closer everyday!