KUWAIT: Children in Kuwait faced grave risks on the gaming platform Roblox, from exposure to strangers to financial exploitation, cybersecurity expert Bassam Al-Abdan warned this week.
Speaking on Kuwaiti television, Al-Abdan said the platform’s virtual world allows children to build houses, farms, and buy digital items — but also leaves them vulnerable. “Some parents reported spending up to KD 1,200 per month because their children are deeply attached to the game,” he noted.
His comments came after Kuwaiti authorities temporarily blocked access to Roblox over safety and financial concerns. Similar restrictions exist in Qatar, Oman, Turkey, China, the UAE and Australia.
Globally, Roblox hosts millions of user-generated games and describes itself as “the ultimate virtual universe.” The platform has more than 85 million daily users, about 40 percent under 13. Safety measures include restricted messaging for younger accounts and AI-moderated voice chat for teens. But experts say these controls remain limited and can be bypassed.
A Guardian investigation in April 2025 highlighted “a troubling disconnect between [Roblox’s] child-friendly appearance and the reality of what children experience,” noting that children as young as five can chat with adults and encounter sexually suggestive content despite safety restrictions.
Al-Abdan shared one recent case to illustrate the risks. “A parent contacted me saying, ‘My bank account keeps getting debited, but I don’t know where the money is going.’ When we traced the transactions, they were linked to Roblox and other websites,” he said.
Later, Al-Abdan said the parent found someone had contacted his son while pretending to be a child. “These people use programs to alter their voice, so the child accepts it. Eventually, the fraudster told the boy to send a photo of his father’s bank card — and then began deducting large sums of money,” he said.
He said the harm extends beyond finances. “The consequences are severe: psychological and even physical. A child could be influenced to ask for strange things, imitate behaviors that contradict our traditions, or encounter ideas far from religion itself. That’s the deeper danger.”
Al-Abdan urged a three-way response involving parents, technology, and regulation. He suggested Kuwait could negotiate with Roblox for localized rules, as the UAE did before lifting its earlier ban.
But he stressed that parents must take the lead if Roblox returns. “Every child must have their real date of birth entered when registering, because Roblox does offer games segmented by age. Accounts set up correctly are linked to the parent’s email and cannot be altered without proof such as a passport or ID.”
He also advised parents to safeguard financial data by verifying websites, using secure payment methods, and avoid saving banking details on apps vulnerable to hacking.
