The government has only specified a handful of sites included in the UK’s social media ban,
These are Snapchat, TikTok, YouTube, Instagram, Facebook and X.
However, it says its restrictions will closely follow Australia’s – where the above apps plus Kick, Reddit, Threads and Twitch are banned for under-16s.
So where does that leave Roblox and gaming sites like it?
Roblox is hugely popular with children in the UK, but it has been accused of failing to keep them safe – including allegations it allowed children to be preyed upon by adults.
Roblox says it has made changes to protect child users, including by expanding tools to estimate a user’s age to determine the games and experiences they can access.
“It is not yet clear how they will treat gaming sites,” says Lorna Woods, professor of internet law at Essex University.
“Though if they follow the Australian approach, these will lie outside the Australian ban.”
Regardless of whether it does end up being banned for under-16s, Roblox will still need to abide by requirements for all platforms to disable features that let strangers communicate with children, announced alongside the ban.
The government made a point of saying this restriction would apply to gaming services.
Children will still be able to participate in multiplayer online games, though, it adds, external.