Sexual Content, Predatory Behavior and Personal Information Sharing Top Growing List of Dangers Kids Face While Gaming Online
Data Reveals 5 p.m. as Most Dangerous Time of Day for Children Online
PHILADELPHIA, August 8, 2025 – Kidas, a leading technology company specializing in AI-powered tools to protect gamers from toxicity, cyberbullying and predatory behavior, today released new proprietary data revealing a dramatic, continual surge in online threats against child and teen gamers in the second quarter of 2025. Kidas analyzed 22 million conversations across in-home gaming and esports venues, identifying thousands of serious online safety threats that illustrate the intensifying risks young gamers face, especially during popular gaming hours.
Overall, the number of threats increased by 59 percent in Q2 compared to Q1, with some of the most concerning categories experiencing triple-digit increases:
- Sexual content threats increased 131 percent, underscoring minors’ growing exposure to explicit conversations and materials.
- Predatory behavior threats increased 108 percent, representing the growing prevalence of adults engaging children in manipulative or inappropriate exchanges.
- Personal information sharing rose 100 percent, a critical privacy concern as children continue to reveal sensitive data, such as their real names and addresses.
Other troubling trends include increases in scams (+79 percent), self-harm references (+75 percent) and the deliberate posting of offensive or provocative messages to provoke an emotional reaction or escalate conflict (+95 percent).
“These statistics aren’t just numbers on a page; they represent real moments when a child’s safety was at risk, often without the knowledge of parents, schools or guardians,” said Ron Kerbs, Founder and CEO of Kidas. “The sharp rise we’re seeing across virtually every threat category signals a troubling escalation in online toxicity and exploitation. While gaming can be a positive and enriching part of a child’s life – offering social connection and cognitive benefits – we must ensure that young players are protected from bad actors. Kidas is committed to detecting threats in real time and equipping families with the tools they need to intervene early and keep children safe from harm.”
In addition to content-based threats, Kidas’ data identified clear patterns when children face the greatest risks online. Sundays and Wednesdays saw the highest overall volume of threats, while bullying-related threats peaked on Thursdays. Notably, weekdays generated more than 2.3 times as many threats per child compared to weekends, with 5 p.m. – a critical after-school hour – emerging as the most dangerous time of day for kids gaming online.
Kidas’ Q2 data is supported by real-world cases that demonstrate how rapidly online threats can escalate. In one instance, an 11-year-old boy was exposed to inappropriate sexual language and personal information requests just days after sharing a photo with another gamer. Within a month, the situation escalated to an attempted blackmail attempt over in-game currency. In another case, a 14-year-old boy shared photos, exchanged phone numbers and was pressured to move conversations to FaceTime, all within a short timeframe, signaling a cascade of risky behaviors that could have gone undetected without Kidas’ early intervention system.
Kidas’ ProtectMe software leverages advanced AI to detect dangerous behaviors across voice and text communication in more than 3,000 games and platforms. ProtectMe delivers real-time alerts and weekly summaries directly to parents and guardians, helping them to safeguard their children in today’s high-risk online gaming environments.
About Kidas
Kidas is a technology company developing AI-powered text and voice communication tools to protect online users from toxicity, cyberbullying and other predatory behavior. Its proprietary ProtectMe software for children’s PC games analyzes in-game voice communication, text activity and screen time, silently integrating into thousands of popular games and monitoring for predatory actions and privacy concerns. Custom weekly, monthly and, if needed, daily/immediate reports are generated and emailed to parents, letting them know if their child encountered threats.
Additionally, Kidas’ ProtectMe Bot is the first and only bot available for Discord with voice and chat moderation capabilities designed to combat toxicity among users, ensuring a positive experience for everyone using the platform and maintaining server security. Kidas was named a winner of the 2025 AI Breakthrough Awards for “Best Overall Use of AI in Gaming,” recognizing its innovative approach to creating safer digital environments. For more information, visit www.getkidas.com.Media Contacts
Michaela Fawcett / Michael Ganci
KCSA Strategic Communications
[email protected] / [email protected]