Australian officials have asked to meet with Roblox after reports emerged that children using the platform were being targeted by predators and encountering graphic content. Communications Minister Anika Wells said she had written to the U.S.-listed technology company to convey what she described as 'grave concern' about those reports.
"The reports weve 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. "Australian parents and children expect more from Roblox."
A Roblox spokesperson was not immediately available for comment.
The government's communication signals a cooling in relations with the popular online gaming platform. Roblox implemented an age-assurance feature in 2025 designed to narrow age windows for online chats and to reduce the risk of child grooming. Australian authorities had earlier welcomed that initiative and it informed a recommendation not to include Roblox in a social media ban that took effect in December.
Separately, the office of the eSafety Commissioner said it will actively test the effectiveness of the age-based safety tools Roblox has introduced. The regulator also flagged the potential for enforcement action, noting it could seek fines up to A$49.5 million (USD) if the platform is found to have failed to meet the country's online child protection requirements.
"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.
The combination of ministerial correspondence and regulatory scrutiny sets the stage for a formal review of Roblox's child-safety performance in Australia. Authorities have indicated they will test whether the company's stated safeguards operate as intended in practice and whether they satisfy Australian legal standards for protecting minors online.
At this stage, officials have limited their public comments to calls for engagement and statements of concern; they have not announced further regulatory steps beyond testing and the potential to pursue fines if non-compliance is identified.
Context and next steps
- Government requested a meeting with Roblox to address reports of grooming and graphic content exposure.
- Communications Minister Anika Wells has formally written to the company expressing "grave concern."
- The eSafety Commissioner will test Roblox's age-based features and has said fines up to A$49.5 million (USD) are possible if laws were breached.