Cybertip.ca

Canada’s national tipline for reporting the online sexual exploitation of children

Cybertip.ca Alert: Roblox: Parents Be Aware of Chat Feature in Gaming Platform for Kids


The Canadian Centre for Child Protection (C3P) wants to make parents aware of concerns in a popular gaming environment called Roblox. Roblox is a user‑generated gaming environment where children are encouraged to create adventures using their avatar, play games and connect with friends in this multiplayer environment that claims to have over 44 million active users.

The Canadian Centre’s Cybertip.ca program has received reports concerning requests to meet up in person, and/or sexually suggestive chat messages being sent to children under the age of 12 within Roblox. It is important for parents to be on alert with any app or site that offers direct messaging chat features.

Through the chat feature, children can easily be exposed to inappropriate conversations or redirected to inappropriate content on other sites. Before your child starts playing a particular game, explore it yourself first. Is there an interactive (chat) component in the game? Is this an optional feature that can be turned off? Are there other optional features that can be turned off or on to improve safety? Does the game allow for an easy way to report inappropriate activity? Does an online search of the app or game find media articles that involve child safety‑related concerns?

We want to remind parents that it is important to teach children to:

  • Check with you before using new apps/games or sharing any information online. For children under 12, online interactions should always be supervised by a parent or safe adult.
  • Not respond or click on messages or links from someone they don’t know.
  • Tell you if they come across something or someone while playing an online game that makes them feel uncomfortable and that they can tell you without fear of getting in trouble.
  • Ask your permission before ever accepting a request from another gamer to move over to a video chatting site or other chat platform.

Share this important information with other parents and encourage others to sign-up for Cybertip.ca Alerts.