Australia eSafety Commissioner notes first third-party audit requirement
CategoriesAge Assurance | Biometrics News
Australia’s eSafety Commissioner has accepted a court-enforceable undertaking from Roblox to put in place “robust measures designed to protect children from grooming, sexual exploitation and abuse,” according to a release.
It marks the latest development in the ongoing engagement between the two parties over its online safety record. In February of <a href="https://comicvibe.com/ps5-pro-vs-xbox-series-x-vs-switch-2-e400-price-gap-<a href="https://comicvibe.com/sell-ores-codes-august-2026/” title=”Sell Ores codes (August, 2026)”>2026/” title=”PS5 Pro vs Xbox Series X vs Switch 2: €400 Price Gap [2026]”>2026, Australian Communications Minister Anika Wells summoned executives from the social gaming platform to an “urgent meeting,” over concerning “reports of children being exposed to graphic and gratuitous user-generated content on the platform, including sexually explicit and suicidal material.”
Per eSafety’s release, testing earlier this year “identified gaps in Roblox’s safety systems which eSafety considered continued to put children at risk, including allowing contact between children and adult strangers.” Messaging functions allowed adults to send connection requests to kids without parental oversight, and kids’ profiles and biographies were visible to anyone on the platform, among other breaches of the law.
It now has three months to implement its proposed changes under the enforceable undertaking.
Roblox has always insisted that it is doing its utmost to keep the platform safe. Nonetheless, it has agreed to implement new safeguards that will prevent adults from contacting unknown children without parental consent, tighten privacy settings on children’s accounts, and engage an independent third-party auditor to assess the effectiveness of its safety measures, including the age estimation it
“If they breach the undertaking, eSafety may apply to the Federal Court for an order directing Roblox to comply and any other order the Court considers appropriate.”
No marking your own homework for Roblox: Inman Grant
Julie Inman Grant – thus far the single most unshakeable figure in the age assurance regulatory sphere, and a primary catalyst for the current wave of social media legislation – says promises are only good if they’re kept.
“We have been engaging with Roblox for some time at senior levels about our concerns and the company has responded, making a number of improvements to its service,” she says. “Their executives clearly understand that verifiable safety measures are critical to their long-term
“Critically, the inclusion of third-party auditing ensures Roblox cannot mark their own homework, and there will be robust independent evaluation of these commitments. This is the first time such third-party auditing has been required under Australia’s Online Safety Act.”
“Holding Roblox to the binding safety improvements through this enforceable undertaking is a great example of how these systemic powers can deliver real and meaningful results.”
Article Topics
Australia age verification | biometric age estimation | children | eSafety Commissioner | gaming | Roblox
