Allahabad High Court Seeks Government Response on Plea to Restrict Minors' Access to Roblox
The Allahabad High Court on Wednesday issued a notice to the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) seeking its response on a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) that demands restrictions on minors' access to the online gaming platform Roblox and similar virtual platforms.
The petition, filed by advocate Rani Singh, requests the court to direct the central government and other authorities to ban minors from accessing Roblox and other games such as PUBG, Manhunt, Free Fire MAX, the Grand Theft Auto series, Battlefield, and Fortnite.
A Division Bench of Justices Rajan Roy and Manjive Shukla heard the petition and issued the notice.
The plea raises concerns about features such as real-time social interaction, user-generated games and avatars, virtual currency transactions, and unrestricted access to chatrooms. It contends that these features may expose children to online safety risks, including cyberbullying, exploitation, and financial fraud.
The petition also seeks the formation of a high-level committee comprising child psychologists, cyber experts, AI moderation specialists, and law enforcement officials to assess the risks associated with such platforms and recommend immediate safeguards.
Additionally, it prays for mandatory and periodic workshops, seminars, and awareness drives in schools and educational institutions to sensitise children, teachers, and parents about the potential psychological, behavioural, and safety risks of online gaming platforms.
The petitioner argues that the increasing use of such platforms by minors in India highlights the need for statutory regulation, mandatory child safety measures, parental awareness initiatives, age-appropriate content moderation, and stronger government oversight to safeguard the welfare and mental well-being of children.
