Within the past few years, the subject of user data and online privacy has been a hot topic for just about everyone, from gamers to social media enthusiasts to the companies that are supposed to be protecting it. From stories about the Facebook data breach which saw millions of phone numbers being leaked, it's understandable that people would have concerns about their personal information. Now, it looks as though the developer behind Roblox is being accused of a similar mishap.
Recent developments suggest that the company responsible for the hit multiplayer game Roblox has lapsed somewhat when it comes to protecting player's data as reports show that more than 100 million users' information has been the target of data theft. While Roblox Corporation has said that it takes issues surrounding data protection very seriously, the developer and publisher denies any "glaring" errors on its end.
The game, which as of last summer had a record-breaking 150 million monthly users, is said to have been vulnerable to online attacks which has left personal data exposed. Some of the things being blamed for the vulnerability include the manifest for the Android version of Roblox being misconfigured, insufficient algorithms, and other issues which seem to point towards the developer itself being partly to blame for the breach. However, that's not to say that blame can't also rest on those who have committed these cybercrimes. However, researchers seem to feel that Roblox Corporation could be doing more to keep players' information safe, particularly in places like Europe where GDPR laws are strict about personal data breaches.
Although sources state that the game has been patched with some security issues being addressed, some are concerned that the threat is still serious and unless further improvements are made, user data, such as email addresses and personal names, could continue to be at risk. As Roblox is particularly popular with kids, it could be argued that the issue is even more dire as minority information becomes susceptible to online attacks and is likely to be a cause for concern for many parents.
Released in 2006 for PC, with mobile and console versions coming out several years later, Roblox has become something of a phenomenon. In fact, in 2019, the game surpassed Minecraft in terms of monthly active players. With so many people still playing it, particularly younger people, the accusations about poor security and subsequent measures that need to take place to address them should, arguably, be the company's top priority.
Roblox is available on mobile, PC, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
Source: Cybernews