You know how they say that “all publicity is good publicity?” Maybe that’s not quite true in the case of Roblox and… well, everything that’s been going on in this popular yet troubled online game platform in the past few years. With massive net losses from 2022, accusations of sketchy monetization, and even a lawsuit concerning the sexual exploitation of a minor, this title has been in some rough waters indeed.
That’s not going to change this week, either, as a news story is emerging about a 16-year-old Singaporean teenager who was detained by the police for playing on several ISIS-themed worlds in Roblox. This teen had purportedly been roleplaying a terrorist for the Islamic State and had contact with a suspected terrorist who was arrested late last year.
The unnamed teen was not arrested or formally charged, but he is under a restriction order by authorities and not allowed to make public statements.
Singapore’s internal security said that during his time in Roblox, he “would shoot and kill enemies and undertake roles as the ‘spokesperson’ and ‘chief propagandist’ for his virtual ISIS faction.”
It is not clear how long this group had operated within Roblox and why Roblox had not already found and scrubbed it.
