Australia forces Roblox to tighten child safety in court-backed deal

Australia's internet safety regulator has obtained a legally binding commitment from Roblox to overhaul its child-safety measures, following tests that revealed adult strangers could still reach children on the gaming platform despite existing safeguards.

The eSafety Commissioner announced on Thursday that its investigations found adults could send connection requests to young Australian users without parental consent, and that children and adults could interact in forums outside games without approval. The tests also showed that children's profiles, connections, and other personal details were visible to other users.

Under the court-enforceable undertaking, Roblox has three months to implement changes, including blocking adults from contacting unknown minors without parental permission, making children's accounts private by default, and improving complaint-handling and notification systems.

The company, headquartered in San Mateo, California, must also appoint an independent third-party auditor to evaluate the effectiveness of its safety measures, including its age-estimation technology. The regulator noted this is the first time it has required an external safety audit from a tech firm.

"Roblox cannot mark their own homework," said eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant.

If Roblox breaches the undertaking, the eSafety Commissioner can apply to the Federal Court for an order compelling compliance, as well as seek other remedies.

A Roblox spokesperson said the platform had "delivered on the commitments we made to eSafety over the last 12 months" and would continue working toward the shared goal of keeping Australian children safe online.

The agreement marks a significant step in the regulator's broader push to enforce Australia's strict child-safety rules, which include a landmark ban on social media for under-16s.