Two strippers are dancing next to a bar. Avatars wear extremely revealing clothing. A group is gathered around a couple who are openly having sex. A man is wearing a Nazi uniform…
According to the BBC’s report, all this does not happen in the real world, it takes place on Roblox, a children’s game platform.
Roblox has a huge game world that can be described as a kind of primitive metaverse. In addition, the game is considered one of the most popular children’s games in the world. While the exact numbers are not known, in 2020 Roblox told Bloomberg that two-thirds of all U.S. children ages nine to 12 play the game.
Roblox is built on a framework that allows users to create and play games together. It can also be seen as a way to connect with other people in the digital world in real time. Players can create games using the developer tools provided by the platform. Unlike more traditional games, the content is created by its users. Of course, this wide range of options also brings problems.
Sex games, which have become a big problem in Roblox, are often referred to as “condo” on the platform. In its simplest definition, condos represent spaces created by users, where people can talk about sex and have their avatars have virtual sex, and “games” played in these spaces. This is actually completely against the rules of Roblox.
A spokesperson admitted to the BBC that this is a growing problem at Roblox: “We know there is an extremely small subset of users who are deliberately trying to break the rules.”
Condos only stay active for a short time – usually less than an hour. Roblox says it is constantly trying to take these games offline using both manual and automated systems: “Using a combination of human and machine detection, we do a security review of every single image, video and audio file uploaded to Roblox.”
However, some explicit content escapes this filter system. It’s a “cat and mouse” issue, says Larry Magid, president of ConnectSafely, a nonprofit that raises awareness of child safety online.
Condos are not games you’ll find by chance on Roblox. You need to actively seek them out. But their presence bothers people like Magid: “Roblox is a platform that is very popular with kids and allows kids under 13. So it has a special responsibility to protect its users.”
Much of what is written in the conversations in Condos is hard to find on an adult news site, let alone a children’s game. Roblox officials tell the BBC they are developing “Parental Control” tools that “can be used to restrict who kids can interact with and what experiences they can access.” However, this goes no further than an approach that assumes parents are tech-savvy enough to know about these safety measures.
Digital psychologist who studies online behavior Dr. According to Liraz Margalit, people behave differently in the metaverse – just like on social networks: “You have anonymity and you have the effect of disinhibition. This platform gives you the playground to do whatever you want.”
Roblox officials conclude their statement to the BBC by saying, “We have zero tolerance for any form of sexual content or behavior and we take swift action against anyone found to be violating our Community Standards.”
In short, many giant companies are currently competing with each other to create a metaverse. But the importance of controlling these virtual worlds has already emerged. Roblox is one of the best examples of this…
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