Roblox suspends in-game chat in Middle East

The developer of the hit video game platform Roblox has suspended in-game chat in the Middle Eastern market, in an agreement with telecom regulators.

The steps include the temporary removal of the hugely popular in-game chat and tighter moderation of content in Arabic in countries including the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Qatar, Syria, Palestine and Yemen.

The changes in the UAE were introduced by the Telecommunications and Digital Government Regulatory Authority, in a joint statement with the Roblox Corporation.

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The move follows widely publicised concerns about child protection, including that chat functions in the game could allow predators to groom children.

“Together, we can create a secure and supportive online space where children can explore, learn and play with confidence,” the authority wrote on social media.

Kuwait, Qatar and Turkey blocked the platform in August, after earlier bans in Oman and Jordan. The game remains available in Saudi Arabia, one of the largest emerging video game markets in the region.

“Our long-term vision is to connect people with optimism and civility, by creating a platform where users of all ages can have a safe, civil and positive experience,” Roblox said on Thursday.

“As part of this vision, and in view of recent discussions with regulatory authorities in a number of countries across the Middle East, we are committing to enhance our Arabic communication and content moderation capabilities. While we undergo the next phase of this work, we are temporarily disabling certain communication features, including in-experience chat, for all users in Arabic speaking countries in the Middle East region, with immediate effect.”

Founded in 2006, Roblox is a free online gaming platform that hosts millions of user-created games, called “experiences”, which are created through Roblox Studio. In-game purchases are bought using its virtual currency robux, which game developers can exchange for real currency.

After several high-profile lawsuits in the US, Louisiana last month took legal action against the developers of the game, Roblox Corporation. It alleges the company failed to implement substantial safety controls and “knowingly enabled and facilitated the systemic sexual exploitation and abuse of children across the United States”.

Countries introduce bans

In Kuwait, the Communications and Information Technology Regulatory Authority announced on August 21 it was temporarily blocking the platform after parents and community organisations voiced concern about child safety.

Qatar removed access on August 13. The government has so far not released a statement on the move.

Turkey banned it on August 7 with the company saying it was “working with local authorities” on a resolution. The UAE previously banned Roblox between 2018 and 2021.

Why is it being blocked?

Concerns over harmful content, nude or inappropriately dressed avatars and the ability for adults to converse with children, raising the risks of predatory behaviour, are behind the controversy.

Earlier this year, UK research agency Revealing Reality created Roblox accounts for fictional users aged five, nine, 10, 13 and over 40.

“In a short space of time, we revealed something deeply disturbing. Despite the safety features in place, adults and children can easily interact in the same virtual spaces with no effective age verification or separation,” the report said. “Our research confirmed that an account registered as a 42-year-old could add and publicly interact with our accounts registered as children as young as five years old and privately chat with accounts registered as 13 years old and above.

“Additionally, our account registered as a 10-year-old child was able to freely access highly suggestive environments. In these spaces, children were able to both observe and participate in conversations that often strayed into adult themes.”

Keeping your child safe

Parents can restrict what technology and games their children have access to. But with iPads a must for children at school, access to the latest games is constantly at their fingertips, so parents must be aware of new developments.

Parents should consider spending time on Roblox themselves to get an idea of what kind of games are available. Adults should create their own account linked to their child’s and set up strong parental controls. Adding an account pin number will lock parental settings and prevent children from changing them.

“Restrict in-game purchases by limiting or disabling spending to avoid unexpected charges and reduce pressure to buy,” Mudresh Shah, a manager at cyber security company Help AG, told The National last week. “Monitor your child’s chats and their online friends so you know who your child is interacting with and encourage open conversations about online safety.

“Teach safe clicking by showing them how to avoid suspicious links and downloads to prevent malware and enable two-factor authentication, which adds extra security beyond just passwords.”