Roblox warning over sexual content and friend requests from strangers on gaming platform teesside


Roblox: Warning over sexual content and friend requests from strangers on gaming platform
A warning has been issued about harmful sexual content and stranger friend requests on the gaming platform Roblox.
Roblox: Warning over sexual content and 'friend requests' from strangers on gaming platform
A warning has been issued about harmful sexual content and stranger friend requests on the gaming platform Roblox.
The message was issued by the Family Information Service in Middlesbrough after concerns about the app which is used by millions of children worldwide.
It said there had been worrying accounts of children being exposed to sexual content and messages from strangers.
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The Facebook post said: "There have been recent reports about harmful sexualised content on gaming platform Roblox.
"The latest reports outlined worrying accounts of younger children being sent friend requests from strangers, virtual online dating (OD’ing) and exposure to sexualised content, with in-game characters imitating sexual acts."
The service is offering advice for parents to ensure children and young people know what to do if something goes wrong.
More than 150 million people use Roblox worldwide and is intermittently in the news amid concerns over young users' safety.
Users can join group chats and while it has some filters, predators still try to find ways around these to prey on young children.
There have been reports about adults pretending to be children, attempting to groom young players and encouraging them chat privately away from the game.
One mum said her son was sent to sexual content after clicking on a link.
"He thought he'd been gifted free robux and when he clicked the link it too him to a Google search of nudes." she said.
After he alerted his mum, she "swiftly got rid".
"But i was mortified and the sender of the link had more than one profile," she said.
"I ended up blocking and reporting around seven accounts under the same name."
Advice from the family service can be found on its Facebook page.
It advises that anyone asking for a child's personal information or to talk privately should be blocked and reported.
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