child grooming

The Australian Government's eSafety office has requested major gaming platforms, including Roblox, Microsoft, Epic, and Valve, to provide details on their measures to prevent child grooming and extremist content. The eSafety office has issued legally enforceable transparency notices due to concerns that platforms like Roblox, Minecraft, Fortnite, and Steam may be exploited by predators and extremist groups. Approximately 90% of children aged 8 to 17 in Australia engage with online games, highlighting the need for protective measures. Reports indicate that these platforms have been associated with grooming incidents and extremist themes, including games inspired by the Islamic State and depictions of mass shootings. Non-compliance with the transparency notice could result in penalties of AUD5,000 per day. In response, Roblox has committed to safety initiatives, including AI technology to review content and plans for age-based accounts to enhance user safety.