UAE: Roblox disables chat function for users amid safety concerns
Players on Roblox in the UAE will soon have their in-game chat functionality disabled. This was made known in a social media post by the firm Roblox and the Telecommunications and Digital Government Regulatory Authority (TDRA) saying it will implement new measures aimed at strengthening the safety of minors on the internet.
This is weeks after Roblox was regulated in Oman, Kuwait and Qatar. Previously, China and Turkey also restricted access to the game.
In an announcement by both parties, Roblox will unlock a new function to silence the game chat field, and mute the voice chat during games for UAE players in addition to other restrictions.
A normal Roblox user in the UAE confirmed that he could not access the chat feature. “When I first clicked on the game, it said your region/settings make it unable to chat.” “When I exited the game and re-opened it, the chat feature was gone completely.”
Both parties, the Roblox and TDRA, have emphasized the importance of parental control, asking them to monitor their children’s online activities and discuss internet safety while playing video games. They also encourage users to provide any feedback, suggestions, or complaints to Roblox’s in-game reporting system or to the proper authority.
Monitor children
In a post, TDRA also asked parents to supervise their kids on the platform. Talk to them about their digital lives and give them feedback and ideas. Send a report via Roblox reporting to Roblox or the authority directly.
Last week local authorities reported that parents can help make these sites safer by implementing restrictions and other measures to help protect young players. A representative from Kaspersky said that kids using the game, sent and received messages and participated in forums, were at risk for a host of dangers–cyberbullying, harassment, and other inappropriate attacks.
Laura Tristram, the Co-Founder of AI wellbeing and mental health support platform Lumii.me, suggested that parents can help, take “just ten minutes,” to make online games safer. “Switch to a child account, add age filter, install a spending control PIN, and have friends-only chat. Turn on two-factor authentication. Hide names and photos and choose a neutral gamertag. That's openness and safety, not secrecy.”
Another group of modifications from the joint statement includes extending the existing safety features and parental controls, along with improved moderation of content and communication in Arabic, and other safety features.
The authority stated they are still working with Roblox “to ensure a safe, trusted, and positive digital environment for all users in the UAE, especially children”.
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