Available on smartphones, tablets, desktop computers, the Xbox One, and some VR headsets, Roblox has an ESRB rating of E10+ for Everyone 10 and up for Fantasy Violence, which means that typical gameplay should be suitable for most kids.
According to a BBC investigation, Roblox, a popular online game played by children and adults, was reported to have sexually explicit rooms. The site, which has an estimated 150 million monthly active users, allows players to upload and play games and connect with friends — or strangers — using block-like avatars.
The site allows users to “Imagine, socialize, chat, play, create, interact and relate with others in many ways.” The Roblox Suite allows gamers to create their own game or create another world with friends or 'virtual explorers'.
The lack of moderation (despite language filters) in the chat feature and uploaded user content leaves children at risk of exposure to a worrying range of inappropriate adult content, bullying and abuse.
There is a notable absence of any reference to sexualized content in the App Store description of the Roblox App. One could classify some of the avatars as extremely suggestive, if not borderline pornographic.
Roblox encourages users to interact through its Chat & Party function. All chat is filtered, which means inappropriate language is replaced by hashtag symbols. Chatting in accounts of kids under 13 is more heavily filtered. Roblox also employs human monitors who keep an eye out for inappropriate language and content.