Inappropriate content warning in game app
PREDATORS could be messaging children and exposing them to adult content on a popular online game, Hinckley Police warned.
Strangers have been using headsets to speak to youngsters on game app ROBLOX, which is played by many 5 to 10 year olds, with parents completely unaware of their activity.
PCSO Adam Cartwright shared a post on the force’s Facebook page from security experts EST E Safety Training, who made some shocking discoveries about the app during a school visit.
The security group found that more than half of Year 1 students played the game while 70 per cent of a Year 2 group also used it.
It said: “Most of these children then disclosed that they had online friends in ROBLOX that their parents didn’t know about.
“It got worse when many of the children stated they had received many in game messages from ‘strangers’ and that they hadn’t told their parents.
“All of the children then stated that they had seen ‘naked’ characters walking around the game and that the characters were doing very adult things.”
The security group said this was the first they had heard of strangers contacting children in this way, although they had seen this kind of content directed towards youngsters many times.
Year 3 pupils suggested that a lot of the messages were inappro- priate.
In all cases the children were not telling their parents.
The post said: “We would advise every parent to check their child’s ROBLOX account and look to see if they have friends that they do not know.
“Many of the children we spoke to yesterday said their accounts were ‘maxed out’ meaning they have 200 online friends.
“We would also ask parents to check the child’s in-game message inbox to check if they have been receiving inappropriate messages.”
The security group said it had previously posted about the app and a number of concerns that had been raised.