Australia Secures Court-Enforceable Undertaking from Roblox to Enhance Child Safety

Australia's internet regulator has taken a significant step towards ensuring child safety on online platforms. The regulator has secured a court-enforceable undertaking from Roblox, a popular online gaming platform, to strengthen its protections against grooming and sexual exploitation. This move comes after an investigation found that adult strangers could still send connection requests to young Australian children without parental consent.

## Background to the Undertaking

The eSafety Commissioner found several security flaws on the Roblox platform. Children and adults could interact through forums outside games without parental approval, while children's connections, profiles, and other information were visible to other users. These findings led to the regulator taking action to ensure Roblox enhances its child safety measures.

The undertaking requires Roblox to introduce several measures to prevent adults from contacting unknown children without parental consent. These measures include making children's accounts private by default and improving its complaint reporting and user notification systems. Roblox has three months to implement these changes.

## Safety Measures and Auditing

Roblox must also appoint an independent third-party auditor to assess its safety measures, including its age-estimation technology. This marks the first time the regulator has required an external safety audit by a technology company. According to eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant, this is necessary because "Roblox cannot mark their own homework." The auditor will play a crucial role in ensuring Roblox's safety systems are effective in protecting children from harm.

If Roblox breaches the undertaking, the regulator can apply to the Federal Court for an order requiring the company to comply. Roblox has stated that it has delivered on its commitments to the regulator over the past 12 months and will continue working to improve child safety. However, the company still faces an investigation into child safety by the US Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime and Counterterrorism, which claims the platform has been used for serious crimes against children.

## Implications and Next Steps

The court-enforceable undertaking is a significant step towards enhancing child safety on online platforms. It demonstrates the regulator's commitment to protecting children from harm and ensuring that technology companies take responsibility for their users' safety. As Roblox works to implement the required changes, it will be important to monitor the company's progress and ensure that it complies with the undertaking. The regulator's actions serve as a reminder to technology companies of the importance of prioritizing child safety and the need for transparency and accountability in their safety measures.