The Dutch consumer watchdog has launched an investigation into the online gaming platform Roblox over potential risks to children, the regulator said on Friday.

The Autoriteit Consument en Markt said the probe will examine whether Roblox is doing enough to protect young users. The platform is popular with children and teenagers and allows users to play and create their own games.

Roblox, which is free, allows users to play games and explore a digital world. The platform has around 111 million users worldwide. However, in recent years it has made headlines after users – most of them children – encountered games featuring sex and violence.

Criminals have also used the platform to blackmail children into handing over money or performing sexual acts online.

The Dutch home affairs ministry said in October it planned to analyse the safety risks and the impact of online platforms on children. That process is still ongoing.

The ACM said its investigation will assess Roblox’s compliance with the European Digital Services Act, which requires companies to take measures to safeguard the privacy and safety of minors.

In the Netherlands, the ACM is responsible for supervising compliance with the law and has made the protection of minors from online abuse and deception one of its key priorities.

The investigation could take up to a year, the regulator said. If Roblox is found to be breaking the rules, it could face a fine or a binding instruction requiring the company to make specific changes.

Roblox said it has been in contact with the ACM for several months and that compliance with European legislation is “one of its highest priorities”. The company said it has recently introduced age checks for all users who want to use chat functions.