eSafety found in its tests that Roblox still allowed adult users to contact kids.
Roblox has recently come under scrutiny as Australia’s eSafety Commission revealed alarming safety lapses on its platform. In its findings, the regulator noted that Roblox still permitted adult users to contact children, raising serious concerns about the safety protocols in place to protect the younger demographic who frequent the gaming platform.
Despite various measures Roblox has implemented over the past years to fortify child safety, eSafety’s tests indicated that adults could still send connection requests directly to Australian kids without acquiring parental consent. Furthermore, the findings revealed that adults and children could view and respond to each other’s posts in community forums, allowing inappropriate interactions to persist.
In addition to interaction concerns, the eSafety Commission found that any user could view the connection lists, profiles, and other publicly visible information about underage users. This lack of privacy not only places children at risk but also highlights significant gaps in Roblox’s user protection mechanisms.
Recognizing the urgent need for reform, Roblox committed to a “court-enforceable undertaking” aimed at enhancing the security protocols surrounding child users on its platform. As part of this commitment, the company acknowledged the necessity for more robust measures, including an assurance that adults cannot connect with children they do not know without explicit parental permission.
This scrutiny didn’t arise in a vacuum; it follows internal efforts by Roblox to implement age verification processes. In late 2025, Roblox initiated mandatory age verification starting in Australia, likely influenced by eSafety’s longstanding engagement with the company. However, issues emerged as children found ways to circumvent the age verification system through spoofing tactics. Despite these setbacks, Roblox remained optimistic, asserting that its technology functioned as intended.
As part of the global rollout, Roblox has attempted to segregate users into three distinct age categories: Kids, Select, and regular Roblox users. The Kid accounts, designed specifically for users under 13, come complete with strict limitations, including chat turned off by default and numerous parental controls to help ensure safety.
While eSafety acknowledges that Roblox believes it is meeting its obligations under Australia’s Online Safety Act, the regulator has mandated that the company take additional steps. These steps will include making children’s accounts private by default, fostering more accessible reporting mechanisms for users, and engaging a third-party auditor to evaluate the effectiveness of these safety enhancements. Roblox has a tight three-month window to implement these changes or face further legal repercussions.
This scrutiny comes in the context of broader child safety challenges Roblox has faced over the years. The platform currently contends with multiple lawsuits across several U.S. states. Earlier this year, it agreed to a substantial $12 million settlement with Nevada alongside pledges to establish a more comprehensive verification system requiring government-issued IDs and facial age estimation technology. Previously, Roblox only asked users to complete one of these two verification methods, raising doubts regarding the rigors of its current age-protection protocols.
Further efforts include restricting users under 16 from messaging adults unless they have been designated as “trusted friends,” a feature that can be assigned through QR codes. As Roblox navigates these complex safety issues, the high stakes of protecting children in a digital space continue to be at the forefront of discussions, reinforcing the necessity for stringent regulations and continuous oversight.