The Netherlands’ consumer protection regulator ACM has launched an investigation into U.S. gaming platform Roblox over potential risks to underage users in the European Union, it said on Friday [Jan. 30].
The regulator said it will assess whether Roblox is taking adequate measures to protect minors, referring to the EU’s Digital Services Act, which requires platforms to take appropriate and proportionate measures to ensure safety for minors using their services.
A Roblox spokesperson said the company is “strongly committed to complying with the EU Digital Services Act” and referred to the gaming platform’s announcement last November that it would require age verification via facial recognition to limit communication between children and adults.
“We look forward to providing the ACM with further clarity on the many policies and safeguards we have in place to protect minors,” the spokesperson said.
The company has faced global criticism for failing to protect young users from child predators and sexual exploitation. In the U.S., Roblox is facing multiple lawsuits over child safety.
(Reporting by Charlotte Van Campenhout, editing by Tomasz Janowski)
