When Digital Playgrounds Don’t Protect
The gaming and social-platform space for children is booming. Yet as one of the biggest names in the field, Roblox is now facing growing scrutiny over its ability to keep children safe. For example:
Roblox is rolling out new age verification methods, including facial age estimation, in response to concerns.
Researchers have found that on the platform young children can still encounter inappropriate content and unsupervised adult interaction, despite its child-friendly appearance.
Legal and regulatory pressure is mounting in several jurisdictions over how well the platform manages child safety and moderation.
These developments matter because children are not just "playing" in these spaces. They are living large parts of their social life in them. When we send children into digital environments, we must ask: are these spaces designed for them with the same care as the physical world we protect by default?
Many of the features of these platforms (user-generated content, open chat, immersive environments) are powerful for creativity and connection. Yet those same features can expose children to risks if safety, moderation, and oversight are not built in from the ground up.
The key question is this:
What if we accepted that the digital playground is here to stay, and instead made it genuinely safe for children?
We are seeing that the large-scale platforms may not offer the quality of protection that many schools, parents or educators expect or need. If children are going to spend time in these digital worlds anyway, then we must ask:
What could a space look like when safety is properly prioritised, when moderation is active and human-centred, when children and educators feel secure?
If you believe children deserve better, watch this space, because there is an opportunity for a new kind of environment on its way.
One where play, learning, creativity and safety are genuinely aligned.