Australia Finds Child Safety Gaps in Roblox, Fortnite, Minecraft, Steam

Should online child safety be forced on gaming platforms or can the industry police itself?

Published 3 days ago

Australia Finds Child Safety Gaps in Roblox, Fortnite, Minecraft, Steam

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Above: A photo illustration of a child sitting in front of a computer screen. Image credit: Nazar Abbas Photography/Getty Images

The Spin

Industry-critical narrative

Children deserve the same guarantee online that toys on a shelf already carry: built-in safety before launch, not patched after a child is groomed or radicalized. Gaming giants have shown that voluntary goodwill produces wildly uneven protection, with some refusing even basic detection tools or intelligence sharing. If this continues, then Australia will apply regulatory muscle until they get their act together.

eSafety Commissioner eSafety Commissioner

Pro-industry narrative

Gaming platforms already ban grooming, sextortion, exploitation material and predatory contact with minors, with enforcement ranging from lockouts to bans and referrals to child protection authorities. Detailed rules on payments, trading, random-item odds and age-gated features show self-governance that adapts faster than any regulator's checklist, while player reporting and parental controls keep the system honest.

Roblox Epic Games