The digital gaming platform Roblox has been reported as unsafe for children. Citing BBC News Indonesia, several sexually explicit games known as “condos” have emerged on Roblox, featuring sexual conversations and acts among users, most of whom are under 13 years old.
The platform has also been linked to child predation cases. Bloomberg Technoz Jakarta reported a case involving a man in Balikpapan suspected of being an international child predator, who allegedly extorted and threatened a 15-year-old girl from Sweden through Roblox.
Amid growing cases of sexual violence and inappropriate content targeting children on Roblox, Edus World was created to promote a safe and educational digital environment. Edus.id, a startup fostered by Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM), demonstrates its commitment to educational innovation for children through the popular gaming platform.
“This innovation, called Edus World, is an interactive virtual world designed to provide a safe, enjoyable, and meaningful learning experience for children,” said Vicky Rian Saputra, CEO of Edus.id and a student of the UGM Faculty of Social and Political Sciences (Fisipol UGM), on Monday (Nov. 3).
Saputra explained that Edus.id was developed as a solution to these issues through its Edus World innovation. Accessible through Roblox maps, Edus World allows children to explore various adventure-themed areas while learning positive values interactively and engagingly that align with their world. He acknowledged the challenges of limiting digital exposure and internet use among children.
“That’s why we created Edus World, because we believe every game can become a meaningful learning space when children feel safe and happy, especially Roblox, which is currently very popular among Indonesian children,” he explained.
In addition to being a fun play environment, Edus World also introduces an educational bookshelf feature on child sexuality, designed to suit the developmental stages of elementary school students.
This feature helps children learn about sensitive topics without taboos and includes interactive quizzes that parents can play together with their children, fostering a warm family learning atmosphere and positive communication between parents and children.
Saputra added that Edus World was created in response to growing public concern over child safety on Roblox following reports of platform misuse. The innovation, he noted, was specifically designed as a virtual safe space for children.
“We want to ensure that children can play, learn, and explore without the risk of being exposed to inappropriate content,” he emphasized.
Meanwhile, Shahrin Nuri, Chief Product Officer (CPO) of Edus.id and a student at the UGM Faculty of Psychology (Psychology UGM), added that Edus World was not only created for children but also as a tool to strengthen parent-child relationships. The innovation allows parents to play and learn together with their children about positive values and sexuality education, regardless of distance or time.
“We want to create an educational medium that is not only enjoyable but also helps parents overcome their fears when facilitating digital games for children. We are also grateful that Edus World was selected as one of three UGM student teams advancing to the final stage of the national entrepreneurship competition Pertamuda Seed and Scale 2025, organized by PT Pertamina (Persero),” said Shahrin Nuri.
In addition to developing the virtual educational world, Edus.id is also designing a “playdate” program as part of its campaign to promote early childhood education about sexuality.
Through play-based and dialogic approaches, Edus.id encourages children from an early age to understand their bodies and emotions while protecting themselves from the dangers of pornography and sexual exploitation.
“Through this innovative initiative, Edus.id affirms its position as a UGM-supported edutech startup committed to creating a family learning ecosystem grounded in positive values, digital safety, and enjoyable learning experiences,” Nuri concluded.
Author: Agung Nugroho
Post-editor: Rajendra Arya