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Australia’s eSafety Commissioner has published a comprehensive report on child safety and online protection on popular gaming platforms. Commissioner Julie Inman Grant said existing safety gaps could allow malicious actors to contact children and draw them into sexual exploitation, blackmail or extremist ideologies.
The Operative Information Center-OMM reports that the report singled out US company Valve, which owns Steam and the Steam Chat service. It said Valve was the only major platform not using automated technologies widely adopted in the industry to detect and remove known harmful and violent content.
The report also highlighted weaknesses in age-verification measures on Minecraft, Fortnite, Roblox and Steam. On most platforms, users can confirm their age simply by declaring it, potentially allowing adults to access communication features considered high-risk.
The investigation was based on information gathered by Australia’s eSafety Commissioner from October 2025 to March 2026. Although Canberra has already restricted social media use by people under 16, the government is calling for stricter safety standards on gaming platforms. Gaming platforms allow users to play online and communicate with others, making age controls and moderation important tools for protecting children.
