Roblox safety warning for parents: Developer says kids need 24/7 monitoring

An independent game developer has issued a stark safety warning, stating Roblox, the most popular gaming platform, is not safe enough for kids without round-the-clock parental oversight.

In an interview with BBC, the developer revealed that even Roblox’s child safety measures, including age verification checks are not adequate enough to protect the children.

To ensure the safety of kids playing on Roblox, the parents must monitor “their children 24/7 on the platform, and if that's not possible then they shouldn't be playing Roblox.”

According to the developer, “I have seen people on this platform be lured into engaging in ways that they shouldn't with complete strangers."

"I also have seen games where the goal is to shoot as many people as possible in the depicted version of Sandy Hook or Columbine. I've seen remakes of Epstein Island on Roblox,” he added.

However, a spokesperson for Roblox called the platform “safe” as the authorities have strengthened “safeguards and filters designed to prevent harmful content and communications on our platform to keep all our users safe.”

Matt Kaufman, Roblox's chief safety officer, said, "We also continuously monitor user behaviour. If we detect signs their actions do not match their checked age, we prompt users to age check again.”

In 2024, more than 80 million people played at Roblox with roughly 40 percent of them under the age of 13.

In January 2026, Roblox added mandatory age verification checks for all users in the UK. Moreover, the platform also introduced other significant changes, such as blocking children from being able to chat to adults.

Global ban

Before introducing these measures, Roblox has been under fire due to child safety concerns. Russia and Turkey blocked the gaming platform on safety grounds.

Australia, the first country to ban social media platforms for under-16s, did not include Roblox in the list. Some campaigners have called for its prohibition.

Indonesia has also included it in a list of platforms banned for under-16s, which comes into force on 28 March.

Recently, Roblox is rolling out enhanced safety features for users under 16 in Indonesia to comply with the government’s rigorous new child safety and social media regulations.

Under this new directive, platforms are legally required to restrict access for any users flagged as "high-risk."

Following the suit, the UK is also mulling over the social media ban for teens. But it remains clear whether Roblox would be added in the ban or not.