Australia Pressures Steam and Other Gaming Platforms Citing Child Risk
Australia's eSafety Commissioner has issued legally binding formal inquiries to major gaming service providers, demanding disclosure of their mechanisms for addressing harmful user behavior. Platforms under investigation include Steam, as well as Fortnite, Minecraft, and Roblox.
The regulator is particularly focused on the Steam platform. It has been assessed that Steam may be a breeding ground for extremist community activity. The platform combines a game store with rich social features (forums, groups, and chat), making it a potential entry point for the spread of extremist ideologies and contact with minors.
Relevant companies must detail how they identify and prevent behaviors including grooming of minors, sexual exploitation, radicalization, and the dissemination of prohibited content. These requirements are accompanied by strict penalties: violations of online safety standards can result in fines of up to tens of millions of Australian dollars, and ignoring regulatory inquiries will incur daily additional fines.
eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant emphasized that gaming platforms have long gone beyond the realm of entertainment and have become veritable social spaces. She stated that criminals are actively using such services to build trust with children, then manipulate them or involve them in extremist activities.
Other platforms also pose related risks: extremist symbols have been found in user-created content on Roblox and Minecraft; and inappropriate user-made scenes related to real-world tragic events have appeared in Fortnite.
Industry representatives have begun to respond. Epic Games stated that it has strict moderation rules and built-in child protection tools. Roblox Corporation is relying on artificial intelligence for automated content moderation. Microsoft, responsible for Minecraft, stated it is reviewing the regulator's requirements.
Meanwhile, Valve, which operates Steam, has not yet publicly commented on the matter, further raising concerns from authorities about the platform.
This move is part of Australia's broader strategy to protect minors online. While rules for social media have been tightened, gaming services have remained in a relatively unregulated state – a situation that may be about to change.