By Michaela Gordoni
Parents are finally wising up after realizing Roblox isn’t so much for children as it seems.
Roblox is an online platform that hosts millions of games created by its users. Players can pick, play and create as they choose, customize avatars, connect with other users and spend Robux currency, Bark summarizes.
But it takes “reimagining how people come together” to an unpleasant level. Many adults are on the platform. There are features that emulate Snapchat, like private messaging and disappearing chats.
There is frequent financial solicitation of minors — kids feel pressure to get Robux and are often scammed out of their currency. There are violent games with gruesome images and actions.
Oh, and virtual rape. Yeah, thanks to Roblox, that’s now a thing. Users have created “Condo games,” where avatars — many are groomed minors — engage in sexual conversation and acts. There are even virtual strip clubs.
Related: Roblox Isn’t Safe for Your Kids. In Fact, It’s a ‘Pedophile Hellscape’
Predators use Roblox’s chat features and games to target and sexually harass children.
Many organizations have waved red flags for years about Roblox. The Hindenburg group calls it a “pedophile hellscape.”
After testing Roblox’s safety features, the National Center on Exploitation said a 5-year-old can still “sign up with no email or parental permission and access games where their character may be sexually assaulted. The default setting upon creating an account can expose an eight-year-old to ‘experiences’ of strippers leading naked men on a leash across the floor and couples having sex.”
The game actively targets adults, and its CEO wants to launch an online dating service. Over 60% of users on the platform are above the age of 13; 22% are 13-17 and 41.3% are adults over the age of 18, Techpoint reports.
Right now, five states have lawsuits against the platform for failing to protect children. As of November, over 800 families have sued Roblox over sexual predators in safety alone, KFOR reports. In the worst cases, there is kidnapping or death by suicide.
Roblox has said, “We dedicate substantial resources — including advanced technology and 24/7 human moderation — to help detect and prevent inappropriate content and behavior, including attempts to direct users off-platform where safety standards and moderation may be less stringent than ours. We understand that no system is perfect, which is why we are constantly working to improve our safety tools and platform restrictions.”
But these statements are now falling on deaf ears. The company has said many things like this over the years, and the new safety features it implements every now and then don’t seem to put a dent in these issues.
It doesn’t help that its CEO has essentially stated his focus is on pleasing adults and ignores direct questions about safety concerns.
So, does Roblox really sound like something you want your kid to play?
Read Next: Roblox Faces Class Action Lawsuit for Enabling Underage Gambling on Site
Questions or comments? Please write to us here.
– Content: +4Share:
– Content: +4