Roblox comes under investigation amid child safety concerns
The Netherlands Authority for Consumers and Markets (ACM) has launched an investigation into Roblox due to the risks that underage users in the European Union may face on the gaming platform.
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The Netherlands Authority for Consumers and Markets (ACM) has launched an investigation into Roblox due to the risks that underage users in the European Union may face on the gaming platform.
The competition regulator is eager to know whether Roblox has implemented adequate safeguards to protect young children from potential harm.
Roblox has been under scrutiny for years for allegedly not doing enough to ensure the safety of children on its platform.
There have been incidents of children confronted with games that are violent or sexual in nature. In addition, Roblox has become a 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.
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The ACM says it has received numerous complaints about Roblox regarding alleged violent or sexually suggestive games to which minors are exposed.
In addition, reports of malicious individuals attempting to approach minors via the platform and the use of deceptive techniques or dark patterns to encourage in-game purchases have reached the Dutch regulator over the past few months.
These complaints offer sufficient grounds to launch a formal investigation into possible violations by Roblox, the ACM argues.
“The investigation will focus on the platform's measures to protect minors. According to the Digital Services Act (DSA), platforms must take appropriate and proportionate measures to ensure a high level of privacy, safety, and security for minors on their services. The ACM, which oversees the DSA in the Netherlands and has the protection of minors against online abuse and deception as one of its priorities, will now investigate whether Roblox is doing so,” the competition supervisor says in a press release.
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The ACM can’t say how long the investigation will last, but given its nature and scope, the regulator anticipates it will take at least 12 months. If the inquiry suggests that Roblox is indeed violating the rules, the competition watchdog will act, for example, by issuing a fine, penalty, or binding instruction.
In November 2025, Roblox rolled out a voluntary age-verification process for users to unlock chat access.
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