Is Roblox safe for children? UAE legal expert weighs in

Dubai: For millions of children worldwide, Roblox is more than just a game - it’s a digital playground where they create, build, and socialise. But the platform is now facing increasing scrutiny, both globally and in the UAE, over concerns about child safety.

In September, Roblox temporarily disabled some communication features in the UAE, including in-experience chat, following discussions with the Telecommunications and Digital Government Regulatory Authority (TDRA). The authority said the move aims to strengthen child protection online, with new Arabic-language content and stronger moderation tools to be introduced soon.

The update comes amid growing global concern and a series of lawsuits accusing Roblox of failing to safeguard young users from exploitation and inappropriate content, raising a crucial question: how safe is Roblox for children?

Legal expert: Unsupervised use poses behavioural and emotional risks

Emirati lawyer and legal advisor Omar Al-Awadhi, who has worked closely with public prosecution and police authorities in the UAE, explained that cases involving inappropriate behaviour on popular gaming platforms like Roblox have raised serious concerns in the UAE and across other GCC countries. He warned that unsupervised children could be exposed to behavioural and emotional risks.

“The game opens the door to direct communication between children and unknown people ‘strangers’ who may exploit their innocence to promote negative ideas or inappropriate practices, in addition to encouraging some activities based on violence, gambling, or imitating inappropriate behaviours. This uncontrolled openness may lead to children becoming withdrawn, having poor academic achievement, or being exposed to psychological or emotional blackmail,” Al-Awadhi explained.

He added that such incidents could also affect families if the game is exploited by individuals with criminal intent.

“The repercussions from this could affect the family if the game is exploited by unknown individuals with criminal tendencies to harass or cyberbully children, or commit financial fraud through the purchase of virtual tools, which exposes the family to psychological, health, and financial suffering, affecting its stability,” he said.

UAE laws protecting children online

Al-Awadhi highlighted that the UAE has strong legal mechanisms to protect children from online predators.

“The legislature seriously considers the role of the family in protecting its children from digital risks. After continuous supervision, the activation of technical monitoring tools, and the quality of open dialogue with children, are among the most important means of avoiding slipping into serious harm,” he said.

From a legal standpoint, he noted that Federal Decree-Law No. 34 of 2021 on Combating Rumours and Cybercrimes covers acts related to electronic defamation, extortion, and the publication of personal data without consent, all punishable by imprisonment and fines.

“Out of the UAE’s keenness to protect children, families, and society, the Wadeema Law, Federal Law No. 3 of 2016 regarding the Rights of Children in the UAE, was introduced to encourage families to monitor their children and not neglect or fail to protect their rights, as it primarily aims to protect children within the family and society,” he said.

A shared responsibility

Al-Awadhi described Roblox as an example of the evolving challenges within the digital world, where technological innovation intersects with legal responsibility.

“The game ‘Roblox’ is a clear example of the new challenges in the world of technology, where digital warfare intersects with liability and legal responsibility. Therefore, protecting children is not an option, but rather a legal and moral duty, requiring parents to be the first line of defence,” he added.