The Hidden Dangers of Roblox: What Parents Need to Know About the Whisper Chat Function

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Based on my time with students in schools, I have no doubt that the most popular online game is Roblox! Whether I am working with 3rd grade students or 8th grade students, this is a hugely popular game. Upon a casual glance at Roblox, it appears to definitely be a ‘kids’ game’ and some may even say a ‘little kids’ game’. As a result of this perception, most parents instinctively assume if it is a little kids’ game, then the dangers are probably fairly limited. Not so much…

Looking at the hard numbers, Roblox is one of the most popular online gaming platforms for kids, with over two hundred million active users each month. Its interactive, user-generated worlds and immersive multiplayer experience make it incredibly appealing to young players. However, like many online platforms, Roblox comes with its fair share of risks, particularly when it comes to communication features like the whisper chat function, which was new to me until today when I read this article.

What is the Whisper Chat Function?

The whisper chat function in Roblox is a predator’s dream. It allows players to send private messages to each other within the game. Unlike the general chat, which can easily be monitored, whisper chat messages are private and can be harder to track. This function was created to be useful for teamwork and private discussions, but has instead opened the door to potential dangers, mainly that of a predator grooming an innocent child, but also includes cyberbullying, inappropriate content, scams, and phishing attempts. Here is a short YouTube video to familiarize yourself with how it works.

Security experts said sites like Roblox have become a hotspot for predators. In fact, in 2024, Roblox was called a ‘pedophile hellscape for kids’ in a report by Hindenburg Research, alleging that students have been “groomed” on this app for years. The whisper chat functionality available for Roblox players contributes to this problem. Since whisper messages are not always visible to moderators or parents, it becomes easier for predators to build trust and manipulate young players.

How Parents Can Protect Their Kids on Roblox

While Roblox offers many opportunities for creativity and socialization, parents must be aware of the potential dangers lurking within the game and take proactive steps to protect their children. Roblox has built-in parental controls that can significantly improve online safety:

  • Restrict Chat Functions: Under the account settings, parents can limit who can message their child or disable chat features altogether. This will also disable whisper chats.
  • Enable Account Restrictions: Turning on Account Restrictions in the Privacy Settings can help determine that only age-appropriate content is accessible to the child.
  • Set a Parent PIN: By enabling a Parent PIN, settings cannot be changed without parental approval.
  • Monitor Friend Requests: Set the account to only allow friend requests from known, trusted individuals.
  • Use the Report & Block Features: Teach children how to report and block users who behave inappropriately. This allows children to control who they wish to communicate with online and is a great skill to teach for future online interactions.

Additionally, I want to emphasize the importance of talking to your child about this feature. Show them what this looks like and explain that it is dangerous for anyone to talk to you privately in any game. Also emphasize the importance of only talking to people you know in real life or that you, the parent, have approved of. Even if you have chat disabled, your child can be playing at a friend’s house who may not have chat disabled and needs the knowledge to self-protect.

In addition, it is important to educate children about general online safety so that they understand the dangers of private messaging and online interactions. This includes never sharing personal information, such as real names, addresses, or passwords, and understanding that not everyone online is who they claim to be. Students should also be encouraged to report any uncomfortable interactions to a parent or trusted adult immediately. These could include predatory behavior, such as someone asking them to keep secrets or trying to move the conversation to another platform.

Checking Roblox chat logs and in-game activities periodically can help parents identify any concerning interactions or behaviors. We think it is best to foster open communication with your child by encouraging them to talk openly about their gaming experiences, friends they meet online, and any messages that make them uncomfortable. Assure them they will not be punished for reporting concerns.

Roblox can be a fun and engaging platform for children, but it is essential for parents to stay informed and proactive about its risks. The whisper chat function, while useful for gameplay, poses dangers that should not be ignored. By utilizing parental controls, educating kids on online safety, and fostering open communication, parents can create a safer online environment for their children.

Cyber Safety in the News

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Who Was the Cyberbully Harassing Her Teen Daughter?

New York Magazine, January 15, 2025

Owen and his girlfriend Ashley started receiving harassing text messages while they were dating. The cyberbullying they received continued for years, eventually causing their breakup. The cyberbully had an uncanny knowledge of mundane goings-on at school and within their friend group. Sometimes, they would fight back against the harassing text messages, and sometimes, school officials encouraged them to block the phone number.

This is the report on parents’ and school officials’ search for the person behind the vicious, relentless texts to Ashley Licari – and the culprit that was under their noses all along.

 

Teenage TikTok Addict Says the US Ban Gave Her Hope — ‘This App Has Pervaded Every Corner of Our Consciousness’

Fortune, January 19, 2025

After months of wondering if TikTok would actually go away, the app briefly went dark as the U.S ban took effect this month. But not all its devoted users lamented its short-lived disappearance from their lives. In January, TikTok suspended service in the U.S., and third-party platforms removed it from their app stores. However, TikTok restored service the following day.

TikTok had become a daily routine for many users, but for others, it was seeping into their lives too much. Juliet Weisfogel, a 17-year-old student at Trevor Day School in New York City, welcomed the TikTok ban. “I love TikTok so much that I cannot imagine a life without it,” she wrote. “And yet I desperately need a life without it.” “Given my love of TikTok, you might think the notion of losing it would horrify me, and yet, it fills me with hope,” she explained. “You see, I’m a 17-year-old TikTok junkie, and I wholeheartedly support a law that would sever me forever from my fix.”

Julie added that’s because TikTok has taken on an overwhelming role in the lives of her peers, determining their conversations, outfits, what to buy, and meals to eat. “My support for this ban has nothing to do with national security. I do not know whether my name, email address and phone number are stored in Washington, Texas or China. Perhaps, I should care more about that, but what worries me most right now is the future of my generation.” Julie is not the only one who is concerned. Many students (and their parents) have confessed their own unhealthy TikTok addictions as we teach them about cyber safety. The future of TikTok’s availability in the United States remains to be seen at this time.

 

New Michigan Law Will Increase Punishment for Sextortion

WSBT, January 23, 2025

“Jordan D’s Law,” which increases punishment against those who commit sextortion, was signed into law this month in Michigan. The law establishes greater protection against threats of online sextortion targeting minors and other vulnerable people in Michigan. The law is named in memory of Jordan DeMay, a 17-year-old from Marquette, Michigan who died by suicide in 2022 after becoming a victim of online sextortion.

“I am proud to see our state take significant steps to combat one of the fastest-growing crimes against our children and vulnerable Michiganders,” Democratic Floor Leader John Fitzgerald said. “This package honors Jordan’s life and ensures perpetrators of this heinous crime are brought to justice. The policy also empowers kids to ask their parents and teachers for help when they need it…”

Sextortion continues to be one of the fastest growing online crimes according to the FBI. It serves as a reminder that students should never share personal information or pictures with someone that they first encounter online.

 

New Vatican Document Offers AI Guidelines from Warfare to Health Care

AP News, January 28, 2025

A Vatican document released this month offers wide-ranging ethical guidelines for the application of artificial intelligence in sectors from warfare to health care, with an underlying call that the burgeoning technology must be used as a tool to complement, and not replace, human intelligence.

Pope Francis has issued several warnings about the risks associated with AI technology, and this new document by the Vatican’s doctrine and cultural offices expands on what the pontiff has already said. It comes as new Chinese AI chatbots have raised the stakes in the AI technology race, catching up with American generative AI leaders at a fraction of the cost.

The document underlines that human responsibility needs to grow in proportion to the new technology, and that the impact of AI’s uses in various sectors “may not always be predictable from their inception. AI should be used only as a tool to complement human intelligence, rather than replace its richness,” the document said in its conclusion. We agree that there are significant moral and ethical concerns to consider when using AI technology.