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SYDNEY \u2013 Australia\u2019s internet regulator secured a court-enforceable undertaking from Roblox to improve protections against grooming and sexual exploitation, after tests found \u200badult strangers could still contact children despite safety measures introduced \u200cby the world\u2019s biggest gaming platform.<\/strong><\/p>\n The agreement marks an incremental win for the eSafety Commissioner as it seeks to use its enforcement powers to make online \u200bplatforms comply with Australia\u2019s sweeping child-safety rules, including a landmark \u200bban on social media for children under 16.<\/p>\n eSafety said on \u2060Thursday its testing found adults could send connection requests to \u200byoung Australian children on Roblox without parental consent, while children and adults \u200bcould interact on forums outside games without parental approval. Children\u2019s connections, profiles and other information were also visible to other users.<\/p>\n The regulator gave Roblox three months to \u200broll out measures including stopping adults from contacting unknown children without \u200bparental consent, making children\u2019s accounts private by default and improving systems for reporting \u200ccomplaints \u2060and notifying users of outcomes.<\/p>\n The San Mateo, California-headquartered company must also hire an independent third-party auditor to assess the effectiveness of its safety measures, including its age-estimation technology. eSafety said this was the first time \u200bit required an \u200bexternal safety audit \u2060by a tech firm.<\/p>\n \u201cRoblox cannot mark their own homework,\u201d eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant said in a \u200bstatement.<\/p>\n If Roblox breaches the undertaking, eSafety can apply to \u200bthe \u2060Federal Court for an order requiring the company to comply, as well as seek other orders, the regulator added.<\/p>\n A Roblox spokesperson said the platform \u2060had \u201cdelivered \u200bon the commitments we made to eSafety \u200bover the last 12 months and (we) will continue to work towards our shared goal of \u200bkeeping Australian children safe online\u201d.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n