Commentary: Banning Roblox may not be the solution to teen radicalisation

Several governments have blocked Roblox, yet the presence of the platform did not render young people any safer, according to online safety researcher Chew Han Ei. In Singapore, concerns have arisen after several teenagers, initiated by exposure to violent content on Roblox, turned to self-radicalisation. These incidents include a 14-year-old boy arrested for plotting a school attack, who began radicalisation with first-person shooter games on the platform at age 12.

The boy later prepared a detailed manifesto and consumed extremist material, including Islamic State, neo-Nazi and far-right content.

The researcher argues that banning Roblox would not be the solution; instead, stronger safeguards should be introduced. The platform allows for user-created experiences, communication, group formation, and transactions all within one product. The ISD has noted similar cases where youths have simulated attacks and role-played as terrorists on Roblox.

Roblox has introduced safeguards such as chat age checks and separate Kids and Select accounts, but the researcher states that age-segregated chat does not address the root issue of violent simulations and user-driven content sharing.

While governments, including Russia and Turkey, have blocked Roblox, it has not led to a decrease in online radicalisation among children. Instead, a ban might simply push users to other services or platforms with weaker safety measures. The researcher suggests that Singapore's current online safety codes, while applicable to social media, do not cover gaming platforms like Roblox, which involve user-generated content, communication, and algorithmic discovery.

Instead of proposing a new law, the researcher proposes amending existing frameworks, possibly under the Online Safety Code of Practice or the Broadcasting Act, to address the specific challenges posed by these platforms.