Roblox kids’ game haven for Jihadi, Nazi and KKK roleplay featuring Twin Tower bombings and race-hate murders
THE ROBLOX video game has become a haven for roleplaying as Jihadis, Nazi leaders and Ku Klux Klan members – despite being aimed at seven-year-olds.
The Sun has discovered worrying evidence of players acting out brutal race-hate murders, anti-Semitic genocide, and 2001's Twin Towers terrorist attack in the game.
It comes just a day after we revealed YouTube's sickening cache of hardcore Roblox porn videos, and in the same week as a mum revealed her outrage at finding her seven-year-old daughter being "violently gang-raped" in the game.
Roblox is aimed at children, letting players create their own virtual worlds and mini-games – just like Minecraft.
This creative freedom has been abused by racists who are building twisted fantasy worlds where they simulate racist attacks.
One mini-game involves players donning Nazi officer uniforms and gunning down sickly-looking characters in jumpsuits.
Another race-hate game involves choosing between "American" and "Confederate" avatars. The Sun saw one video where a dark-skinned character asked "killing me cause im black?", before being murdered by another gamer.
A KKK simulator in Roblox features players wearing classic Klan outfits with white hoods, using racial slurs and assaulting black people in the game.
In their description for the game, the creators of Roblox explain: "All the online games you see on the platform have been built by members of the Roblox community for members of the Roblox community.
"The types of gameplay on Roblox are just as limitless as the imagination of the creators themselves."
What is Roblox?
Here's what you need to know...
- Roblox is a massively multiplayer game for young players
- It lets anyone design their own mini-games and virtual worlds
- These "social network" games are created using Lego-like virtual blocks
- Players can create their own avatars, and speak to other gamers in real-time
- The game was released back in 2006, and now has more than 64million players globally
- It's available on iPhone, iPad, Mac, Windows, Android, Xbox One and Facebook's Oculus Rift
- Roblox has proved controversial due to the creation of sex games inside the app
- Anyone can access these explicit sex games, and take part in virtual XXX fantasy roleplaying
- The game is age-rated 7+ in the UK and Europe
Roblox has an age-rating of 7+ according to PEGI, which classifies games based on their adult content in the UK and Europe.
Apple has given it a slightly higher age-rating of 12+ on the App Store, but this still means children can play the game.
It's clear that Roblox is designed for a very young audience: it has cartoon-style graphics, characters that look like Lego, and a colourful design.
But the content isn't always appropriate, because players themselves create the mini-games inside Roblox.
One mini-game seen by The Sun lets players pretend to be a terrorist carrying a bomb, blowing up the World Trade Centre in New York.
Another lets you wear a bomb vest and carry an ISIS flag, with one player saying: "I will be showcasing Jihad."
The player then proceeds to blow himself – and several other dummy characters – up while shouting "ALLAHUAKBAR".
A number of videos depicting these sick mini-games have made their way onto YouTube.
The clips seen by The Sun weren't locked behind an age-wall, and could easily be discovered by younger players.
Speaking to The Sun, Andy Burrows, NSPCC Associate Head of Child Safety Online, blasted YouTube and the creators of Roblox.
He said: "Another day and another example of Roblox and YouTube hosting content that is completely inappropriate for young people. When will they get the message?
"Games supposedly designed for children as young as seven should never contain disturbing material and YouTube should not be hosting it. We are calling for immediate and tough Government regulation so that children can be safe online."
In a statement, a YouTube spokesperson told us: "YouTube has clear policies that outline what content is not acceptable to post and we take action on videos violating these policies when flagged by our users."
The Sun understands that three offending videos are no longer viewable in the UK.
Earlier this week, North Carolina mum Amber Petersen told how she felt "traumatised and violated" after seeing her daughter being "gang-raped" on the iPad version game.
Amber revealed how she saw "male private parts" on the screen, and quickly snatched the device off her seven-year-old daughter.
In a Facebook post, she wrote: "My sweet and innocent daughter's avatar was being violently gang-raped on a playground by two males.
"Thankfully, I was able to take screenshots of what I was witnessing so people will realise just how horrific this experience was.
"Parents/Caregivers...not only do I urge you to DELETE THIS APP, I hope you will take another look at all of your devices and their security settings."
On Thursday, The Sun revealed how pervy players were exploiting Roblox to live out sex games.
A search for "Roblox sex" on YouTube pulled up over a million results, with hundreds of top listings featuring XXX scenes.
One incest-themed video seen by The Sun featuring a character having sex with a female avatar from behind, and was titled "f***ing my sister on Roblox".
Advice for parents about Roblox
The NSPCC advises the following...
- Talk to your child regularly about what they are doing on the game. Let them know they can come to you or another trusted adult if they’re feeling worried or upset by anything they have seen
- Roblox has been awarded a PEGI rating that say’s it’s suitable for children aged 7 years or older but parents have told us it’s easy for a child to pretend to be older in order to sign up – be sure to check your child is being truthful about their age
- Roblox limits some of its content and features for users under the age of 13, but there is no requirement for users to verify their age so it might be tempting for some children to claim they are older when they first sign-up. Make sure your child’s account has the right date of birth to reduce the risk of seeing inappropriate content, but be aware that it’s still important to check in with them regularly when they’re playing
- You can change the privacy settings on Roblox by logging into the account and going to settings. Click on privacy and review the options under contact settings and other settings
- Our O2 NSPCC Online Safety Helpline can help you to set up parental controls, adjust privacy settings or get advice on social networks. You can call us free on 0808 800 5002
We found videos depicting genitals, hardcore sex acts, and group orgies.
A number of clips had been live on YouTube for more than a year, and several had received hundreds of thousands of views.
All the videos were made using the Roblox game, which is easily accessible – and free to download – for kids.
Roblox's creators claim to actively remove explicit content – but its systems clearly aren't good enough.
"We protect our players’ safety by proactively filtering inappropriate content and acting against anyone who is in violation of our Rules of Conduct," a Roblox FAQ page explains.
"All uploaded images, video, and audio files are pre-reviewed by moderators before being allowed on the site.
"Our global moderation team is also online around the clock addressing any incoming concerns as reported by players."
In a statement, a Roblox spokesperson said: “Roblox is committed to providing a safe community and we have no tolerance for behaviour or content that violates our Rules of Conduct. When content or players that violate these rules are identified, we take swift action to remove them from the platform.
"In addition, Roblox is proactive and consistent in issuing take down requests to YouTube for any infringing and inappropriate content that does not depict the true nature or functionality of the Roblox platform.
"The Roblox content depicted on YouTube includes content that was created maliciously and is not possible to create on our platform today.
"Roblox has made many requests to YouTube to remove this offensive content but it is ultimately at the discretion of YouTube to take action.
"We are in active conversations with YouTube about removing inappropriate content on their platform and will not rest until every such video is taken down."
Did you realise there was so much inappropriate content in Roblox? Would you let your children play this game? Let us know in the comments!
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