New Permissions Screen Locks Users Out Of Reporting Inappropriate Decals

Bug Reports Roblox Application and Website Bugs
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#1

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Yesterday, I noticed Roblox introduced a new permissions screen for accessing off sale Decals, as a step towards better asset privacy. It’s a great change for developers who want to keep future updates a surprise… But has one important issue. How do we report inappropriate off sale Decals? Even if a user’s inventory is public, even if you can see the inappropriate Decals in their inventory, there’s no easy way to report those Decals if they’re off sale. This becomes an even bigger problem when we consider games which let you input custom Decal IDs to use as posters, flags, logos, emblems, etc.

Here’s an example to test with!

I’ve uploaded a Decal under my alternate account, IAmKingJulien. It’s not inappropriate, but let’s pretend that “TrussTXPlastic” is a terrible swear word which slipped past moderation. Their inventory is public, you can see the 126x126 thumbnail preview of the Decal, but clicking the Decal leads to a permissions screen.

The item ID is still in the URL, meaning any savvy users browsing the web version of Roblox can copy-paste the item ID into the report asset URL ( https://www.roblox.com/abusereport/asset?id=INSERTITEMIDHERE ), but part of what keeps moderation running smoothly is to make sure that reporting inappropriate content is quick and accessible for everyone. It’s already a problem that many users don’t report nasty behavior thanks to the stigma against Roblox moderation, and having the report option tucked away leaves the door wide open for trouble.

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#2

I guess the somewhat unfortunate tradeoff is developer asset security and forcing uploaders of inappropriate content to make it public so it goes anywhere. If decals follow the same permission block as audio, then it won’t be possible to show inappropriate image textures in other experiences unless they’re made public, therefore, opening their ability to be reported.

Still not good that the content could exist on the site at all but its reach should be pretty handicapped this way since you can’t just open up an inapropriate offsale texture anymore. If a bad faith actor wants these to get seen (which is why they upload them in the first place), they also need to open the door for reports and further action against their accounts or their person.

#3

Hey, we have a ticket for this issue in our database! Thanks for the heads up :slight_smile: we’ll get back to you when we have an update.

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