A deep dive into safety concerns on the popular online gaming platform Roblox, discussing the risks posed by predators grooming children. Stories include a user exploiting young players, a case of grooming leading to arrest, and the platform's efforts to protect users through safety measures and parental involvement.
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Quick takeaways
Roblox's AI chat filters and human moderators aim to make the platform safe for all ages.
Predators have exploited Roblox to groom children, raising concerns about the platform's safety measures.
Deep dives
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Roblox: a popular online gaming platform for kids
Roblox, an online gaming platform popular among kids, provides a diverse range of user-made games. With millions of daily users, predominantly under 13, kids engage in various whimsical activities like working at a virtual pizza parlor and owning virtual unicorns. However, concerns arise over the platform's safety due to issues with child predators infiltrating the space.
Challenges and safety concerns on Roblox
While Roblox aims for growth with millions of daily users, safety concerns emerge, including incidents of child exploitation. Limited automated monitoring and issues with identifying inappropriate behavior pose challenges. Despite efforts to enhance safety features and moderation, concerns remain over the platform's ability to protect young users.
With tens of millions of users under the age of 13, Roblox has become the biggest online gaming playground for kids. The company says its combination of AI chat filters and human moderators makes the platform safe for users of all ages. But a Bloomberg Businessweek investigation suggests that Roblox may have striking vulnerabilities.
On today’s Big Take podcast, host David Gura speaks with reporters Olivia Carville and Cecilia D’Anastasio about the way predators have used the platform to groom children — and what Roblox is doing to keep young users safe.