Dutch government assesses Roblox risks for children
The Dutch government will conduct a children’s rights impact assessment to see what effects Roblox has on children’s welfare.
Roblox has been criticized numerous times in recent years for doing too little to ensure the safety of children on its platform.
For example, there have been incidents of children confronted with games that are violent or sexual in nature. In addition, Roblox has become the playground for scammers and sexual predators to extort money from children and blackmail them.
Experts and concerned parents claim that Roblox has been ignoring child safety on its platform for too long. For that reason, the US state of Louisiana recently filed a lawsuit against Roblox.
“For years, Defendant has knowingly enabled and facilitated the systemic sexual exploitation and abuse of children across the United States, including in Louisiana. Through willful disregard and deceptive practices, Defendant has permitted and perpetuated an online environment in which child predators thrive, directly contributing to the widespread victimization of minor children in Louisiana,” the complainant argued in court documents.
The Ministry of the Interior has informed Dutch news outlet NOS that it’s conducting a children’s rights impact assessment on Roblox. The government is going to examine the positive and negative effects of the game. The probe focuses on the rights and well-being of children.
The goal of the investigation is to provide parents with a better understanding of the effects of Roblox on their children. Furthermore, the outcomes can be used by the government to implement new policies and additional safeguards to better protect teenagers.
In a response, Roblox states that all kinds of measures are being implemented to make children feel safe.
“We have rules about how people should behave. If we see these being violated, we’ll issue a warning, temporarily block an account, or delete it. Children and parents can also use the ‘Report Abuse’ button on Roblox to let our team know if something feels unsafe or uncomfortable,” the company says.
This isn’t the first time the Dutch government is conducting a children’s rights impact assessment. Instagram, Snapchat, and TikTok have been subjected to investigations in the past.
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