Published • loading... • Updated
Online gaming services under scrutiny over child safety
The regulator said several platforms still rely on self-declared ages and leave children exposed to high-risk features despite new safety measures.
- On Friday, eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant released a report identifying "significant gaps" in child safety measures across major gaming platforms including Roblox, Fortnite, Minecraft, and Steam.
- The eSafety Commission issued compulsory notices in April to assess how providers met the government's Basic Online Safety Expectations, revealing inconsistent approaches to protecting eight to 13-year-olds.
- Platforms like Minecraft and Fortnite allowed users to self-declare their age, potentially accessing "higher-risk communication features," while Valve failed to "proactively" detect harmful material on Steam.
- Commissioner Inman Grant urged providers to "lift their game" to identify serious harms, stating formal enforcement action remains possible if companies do not comply in coming months.
- These gaming platforms remain exempt from the government's social media ban for those under 16, making this report critical to preventing online grooming and exploitation of young users.
Insights by Ground AI
25 Articles
25 Articles
Sydney (Australia), 2 Oct (EFE).- The Australian Internet Security Regulator, eSafety, this Friday urged major video game platforms to strengthen their action against child sexual exploitation and the dissemination of violent extremist content, after detecting significant differences in the protection systems of Roblox, Fortnite, Minecraft and Steam. A new [...] Australia's entry alerts to child safety gaps on Steam, Roblox and other platforms w…
The Courier+9 Reposted by 9 other sources
Online gaming giants told to lift safety standards
Some major tech companies are not doing enough to keep children safe online, the eSafety Commission warns as...
·Ballarat City, Australia
Read Full Article
Coverage Details
Total News Sources25
Leaning Left12Leaning Right2Center5Last UpdatedBias Distribution63% Left
Bias Distribution
- 63% of the sources lean Left
63% Left
L 63%
C 26%
11%
Factuality
To view factuality data please Upgrade to Premium
