August M
A user-created computer game depicting elements of Norway’s 2011 Utøya massacre was briefly available on the online gaming platform Roblox before being taken down.
The removal came after a Norwegian child safety organization contacted the company directly, according to Norwegian newspaper VG.
Game taken down
TV News 2 reports that the game, titled “Utøya! (Norwegian back story)”, was removed last week following a request from Barnevakten, a group that advises children and families on digital media use.
Barnevakten first attempted to flag the game through Roblox’s internal reporting system but said it was not initially taken down.
After contacting the platform directly, the organization said the game was removed within minutes.
Clear violation
Kjellaug Tonheim Tønnesen, professional manager at Barnevakten, told VG that Roblox responded quickly once alerted.
We experienced that they took it very seriously and as a clear violation of their guidelines. We received an immediate response, and it was removed quickly, says Kjellaug Tonheim Tønnesen to VG.
According to Barnevakten, the game was set in a forest on an island and featured a character in a police uniform shooting. Anders Behring Breivik also wore a police uniform during the 2011 attack.
Platform scrutiny
VG reported that the game was accessible to all Roblox users, though it was not widely played. It is unclear how long it had been available.
It had clearly gone under the radar, and that is of course criticizable for a platform with so many millions of young users, says Tønnesen.
Roblox is one of the world’s largest gaming platforms, allowing users to design and publish their own interactive experiences. It is particularly popular among children and teenagers.
Background to the attack
Anders Behring Breivik carried out twin attacks in Norway in July 2011. He first detonated a car bomb in Oslo’s government district, killing eight people.
He then opened fire at a Labour Party youth camp on the island of Utøya, killing 69 people.
In 2012, Breivik was sentenced to 21 years in prison, the maximum penalty under Norwegian law, for the attacks.
Sources: Reporting by TV News 2; VG.
