Australia asks for meeting with Roblox after grooming, content complaints

SYDNEY, Feb 10 (Reuters) – The Australian government has called a meeting with gaming platform Roblox over reports of child grooming and exposure to graphic content on the platform, while a regulator said it will test whether Roblox had delivered on child-safety commitments. Communications Minister Anika Wells said she wrote to the U.S.-listed tech firm expressing "grave concern" about reports that children were being approached by predators and exposed to harmful material. "The reports we've been hearing about children being exposed to graphic content on Roblox and predators actively using the platform to groom young people are horrendous," Wells said in a statement. "Australian parents and children expect more from Roblox." A Roblox spokesperson was not immediately available for comment. The statement shows a cooling relationship between Australia and the popular gaming platform which rolled out age-assurance in 2025 to limit online chats to narrow age windows and prevent child grooming. Australia's eSafety Commissioner welcomed the measure and recommended against including Roblox in a social media ban which began in December. The Commissioner said it will test Roblox's age-based safety features, and noted that it could seek fines of up to A$49.5 million (USD) if the platform had failed to comply with the country's online child protection laws. "We remain highly concerned by ongoing reports regarding the exploitation of children on the Roblox service, and exposure to harmful material," Commissioner Julie Inman Grant said. (Reporting by Byron Kaye)

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