Overview of eSafety Report on Child Safety in Online Gaming
Australia’s eSafety Commissioner has released a transparency report evaluating child safety practices in major online gaming platforms including Roblox, Minecraft, Fortnite, and Steam. The report, based on legal notices issued in April 2026, outlines how each service addresses issues such as child sexual exploitation, violent content, cyberbullying, and online hate.
Key Findings
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Moderation Practices:
- Each service displays different methods for moderating content and detecting harmful material.
- Epic Games pre-screened Fortnite “Islands” before publication, while Roblox used post-publication detection for harmful user-generated content.
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Age Assurance:
- Age assurance methods varied significantly; Epic Games and Mojang relied on users self-declaring their age, while Valve offered minimal age verification.
- Roblox has employed stronger age-assurance measures for high-risk features.
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Detection and Safety Resources:
- Notable differences exist in proactive detection capabilities and trust and safety resources.
- Valve does not use advanced hash-matching tools and lacks dedicated trust and safety personnel, which raises concerns about resource adequacy.
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Overall Differences:
- The report emphasizes significant variations in age assurance, moderation strategies, and safety resource allocation among the four platforms.
Importance of the Report
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Regulatory Insight:
- This transparency initiative serves as a regulatory tool for enhancing children’s online safety and could influence other countries’ regulations and practices.
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Industry Learning Curve:
- By comparing practices across platforms, the report may spur improvements and best practices within the gaming industry.
Conclusion
With child online safety being a growing concern, the report underscores the need for better practices and accountability among gaming platforms. The findings provide a template for regulators to assess and enhance online safety measures effectively.
