Roblox ‘doing all it can’ to tackle proliferation of antisemitic content on platform
Platform has “already taken action against a number of users ” after the Jewish News contacted it about disturbing images on the site, including burning Israeli flags.
Popular online game Roblox says it is doing all it can to monitor continuing antisemitic content on the platform two weeks after Jewish News flagged the issue.
The massive multiplayer game played by millions of children, some as young as eight, enables users to take part in a variety of games and create their own worlds and avatars. It has been overwhelmed with antisemitic and anti-Israel content since 7 October.
Roblox said had “already taken action against a number of users ” after the Jewish News contacted it about disturbing images on the site, including burning Israeli flags.
Some of these screenshots, seen by the Jewish News, had been taken in the Rally for Justice realm, created by users as a hangout for pro-Palestinian protests.
Roblox, which attracts over 70 million daily users, also said it had removed “experience content – including the Rally for Justice experience” – where the burning Israeli flags next to a Jihadist flag were seen – as this “was found to be in violation of the company’s Community Standards.”
A spokesperson said: “With regards to the case you (Jewish News) highlighted, we have already taken action against a number of users as a result of our investigation and will continue to do so. We have also removed experience content – including the Rally for Justice experience – that was found to be in violation of our community standards. Our trust and safety team operates 24/7 and will continue to act to protect the safety and civility of our community.”
The Jewish News contacted Roblox again this week after seeing further screen shots of disturbing scenes, including an avatar holding a Nazi SS placard, one saying Israel with a pig emoji, one with a poo emoji and another that stated: “Israel kimak” – ‘kimak’ is Malaysian slang for motherf****r.
The Roblox spokesperson added: “We have a dedicated team focused on proactively identifying, and acting on, any content or user behaviour that glorifies or promotes terrorist or extremist organisations or promotes hatred against individuals or groups in any way. This includes removing violating content and taking firm action against users who violate our Community Standards. We are also constantly strengthening the technology and filters we use to identify violating content and behaviour, as well as the range of content blocked by our moderation systems.”
There are still concerns that Roblox needs to do more to prevent the continuous surfacing of such content.
A parent, who contacted Jewish News and wishes to remain anonymous, said: “While I’m pleased Roblox has finally listened and removed a game featuring Israeli flags set on fire and a Jihadist flag, there is still far more that could be done.
“It’s hugely disappointing that other protest platforms are still readily available and Roblox has taken very little action, if at all, against them. The existence of such “games” means that those with polarised views about Israel and Palestine now have a virtual place to ‘protest’.
“There is a very real danger that it’s not just children using this platform and it inevitably attracts adult users with more extremist views.
“The protest games have in effect become breeding grounds for spreading virulent antisemitic, anti-Israel hatred.
“My biggest fear is that children with little knowledge or the conflict join the games and are “educated” solely from these extremist views.
“Roblox encourages users to report anything they feel contravenes their terms of use, but we have found this system to be ineffectual. We don’t hear back about what action might have been taken and day after day we continue to see more examples of antisemitism.
“It’s also an impossible task to report every user for hate speech, because it is so widespread in these protest forums – literally hundreds of users from all over the world are gathering there at a time.”
Eze Vidra, co-founder and managing partner at Remagine Ventures, which invests in early-stage startups in entertainment tech, including AI and gaming said: “It’s clear that while Roblox’s efforts to moderate antisemitic content are a step, they’re not sufficient. The continuous surfacing of such content on their platform is concerning.
“It’s a reflection of a broader, alarming trend where social media and gaming platforms are increasingly weaponised to spread hate. Roblox, and platforms like it, must not only reactively remove offensive content but also proactively prevent its occurrence through stronger oversight and innovative technology. This isn’t just about limiting freedom of speech; they must do better to protect our children from a growing and disturbing wave of digital hate.”
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