Kuwaiti Cybersecurity Expert Warns of roblox Risks to Children: Financial Exploitationโฃ and Psychological โขHarm
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KUWAIT CITY – Children โin Kuwait are facing significant dangers โon the popularโฃ gaming platformโ Roblox, ranging from exposure to predatory โstrangers to substantial financial exploitation, โaccording โขto cybersecurity expertโค Bassam Al-Abdan. His warnings come as โขKuwaiti authorities recently temporarily blocked access to the platformโข due โto growingโฃ safety and financial concerns.
Speaking on Kuwaiti television this week, Al-Abdan detailed how Roblox’s immersive โvirtual โขworld,โค where children can build, create, and purchase digital items, simultaneously creates โขvulnerabilities. He cited cases of parents unknowingly racking up exorbitant bills.โข “Some parents reportedโฃ spending up to KD โข1,200 (approximatelyโฃ $3,900 โUSD) per month as โขtheir children are deeply attached to the game,” Al-Abdan revealed.
Kuwait is not alone in its concerns. Similar restrictions on Roblox โขhave been implementedโค in Qatar, Oman, โTurkey, China, the โฃUAE, and Australia, reflecting a global uneaseโ about the platform’s safety protocols.
Roblox: A Virtual Universe with Real-World Risks
Roblox boasts over 85 million daily users, โขwith approximately 40 percent being underโ the age of 13.The platform describes itself as โ”the ultimate virtual universe,” hosting millions of user-generated games. While Roblox implements safety measuresโ such โas restricted messaging for โคyounger accounts โฃand AI-moderated voice chat for teenagers, experts argue thes controls are โคinsufficientโ and easily circumvented.
A recent โinvestigation by The โGuardian in April 2025 underscored this disconnect, stating there’s “a troubling โคdisconnect between [Roblox’s] child-friendly appearance and the reality of what children experience.” Theโข report highlighted instances ofโ children as young as five engaging inโ conversations with adults and encounteringโค sexually โsuggestive content,despite the platform’s safeguards.
fraudulent Schemes and Financial Loss
Al-Abdan โฃshared a especially alarming case he investigated. “A parent โcontacted โme distressed, saying, ‘My bank account keeps getting debited, but I don’t know where the money is โgoing.’ After tracing the transactions, we discovered theyโค were linked to Roblox and other websites,” he explained.
The investigation revealed a complex โscam. The parent’s son had been contacted byโ anโค individual posing asโ a child.”These fraudsters โฃutilizeโ programs to โคalter their โvoice,making it โbelievable to the โฃchild,” Al-abdan said. โข”Eventually, the fraudster convinced the boy โคto send a photo of โขhis father’s bankโ card,โ and then began โคmakingโ unauthorized โขdeductions.”
Beyond โขFinances:โฃ Psychological and Moral Concerns
The risks โขextend far โคbeyondโ financial loss, โAl-Abdan emphasized. “The consequences โare severe: psychological andโฃ even physical. A child could beโ influencedโข to ask for inappropriate โthings, imitate behaviors โthat contradict โคour traditions, or encounter ideas that are harmful and contrary โคto religious values.That’sโ the deeper danger.”
A Three-Pronged Approach to Safety
Al-Abdan โadvocates for a collaborative โsolution involving โparents, โฃtechnology companies, โขand goverment regulation. He โsuggested โขKuwait โcouldโ follow โthe UAE’s exampleโ and negotiate with Roblox to implement localized โขrules, which ultimately led to the lifting of the UAE’sโค previous ban.
However,he stressedโ that parental involvementโ is paramount.โ “Every child must have their accurate date of โคbirth entered during registration.โข Roblox โขoffers age-segmented games, and correctly configured accounts are linked to a parent’s email address and cannot be altered โwithout proper identification, such as a โฃpassport or ID.”
He further advised parents to diligently safeguard financialโข data andโฃ actively monitor their children’sโฃ onlineโ activity. โฃ Open interaction and education are key to protecting our childrenโ in the digital world,
Al-Abdan concluded.
What are your thoughts on online gaming safety? Share your โฃexperiences and concernsโ in the comments โฃbelow! Don’t forget to subscribe toโ World today news for โthe latest updates on technology, cybersecurity, and global affairs.
