What it is
Grand Theft Auto is rated for adults. The single-player game includes strong violence, sexual content, and crime. Online sessions put a player in a public world with strangers and voice chat.
Children still get hold of it because friends have it. This briefing is about keeping it off a younger child’s device, not about how to play it.
What to look out for
- The game installed when you had said no.
- Online sessions with a headset, especially late.
- Friends from the game appearing on Discord or Snapchat.
- A child who is secretive about which mode they are in.
Ways to stay safe
These steps are for Grand Theft Auto. The house rules still apply on every app.
- Do not put your card details on their device. Not in the App Store, Google Play, the game, or PayPal. If you choose to pay, type the card in yourself for that purchase, then remove it.
- If they are under the age rating, uninstall it and keep the store password.
- Do not use their account to go looking through online sessions yourself.
- If they are old enough and you have allowed it, keep online voice to friends only and check who those friends are.
- A person from the game who wants photos or a meeting is a help-page problem, not a game problem.
In the news
Published reports you can read yourself. A headline is the proof, not a set of instructions, and this page does not repeat graphic detail.
- Fortnite, Roblox and Minecraft have child-safety gaps, Australian regulator finds This report is about safety gaps on games children already play. Grand Theft Auto is an adult game with public voice on top of that.
A way to start the conversation
You can say: "This game is made for adults, and the online part is full of adults. It is not staying on your device. If anyone from it has asked you for photos or to meet, tell me."
Video
Parent briefing
A short video for this guide can be added by an editor. Until then, the written briefing above is the one to use.