KIRO

Online gaming

What it is

Multiplayer games like Roblox, PUBG, or Free Fire bring real risks alongside the fun — voice chat with strangers, in-game purchases that add up fast, and pressure to keep playing to not let a team down.

What it looks like on your child's phone
  • Unexplained charges for in-game currency or "loot boxes"
  • Voice chats with people they’ve never met in person
  • Getting upset or anxious about logging off mid-match
  • Usernames or profile photos that reveal more than they should
What to do tonight
  1. Turn off voice/text chat with strangers in the game’s settings
  2. Set a spending limit or remove saved card details from the account
  3. Ask who they play with — by name, not just a screen name
What the law says in India

The DPDP Act, 2023 requires games to get verifiable parental consent before collecting a child’s data. If a stranger uses in-game chat to solicit a child sexually, that falls under the same POCSO / IT Act Section 67B protections that apply to grooming anywhere else online.

General information, not legal advice.

Videos on this
Staying safe in online games
Still not sure what to do?

Talk it through with Vaani, in your own language.