‘If You’re Not Comfortable, Don’t Let Your Kids Be on Roblox’ CEO Comments on the Game’s Child Safety Controversy

Roblox has faced its fair share of criticism for how it handles child safety, and now its CEO has insisted that parents who are uncomfortable can keep their kids off the platform. Calls for better child protection features in online games are nothing new. However, Roblox, as one of, if not the biggest player in this space, has been the focus of much of this debate in recent years.

The online community, which has an ESRB rating of T for Teen despite its audience largely slanting younger, has a history of controversy when it comes to its young users. In 2023, Roblox was hit by a class-action lawsuit claiming it misrepresented how child-friendly it really is and did an inadequate job of keeping kids away from harmful content. The court ultimately dismissed the complaint, but the outcry from concerned parents has shown no signs of slowing.

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In response to the ongoing criticism, CEO Dave Baszucki told the BBC that parents shouldn’t let their kids play the game if they’re uncomfortable with it. He followed the statement by clarifying that he trusts parents to make their own decisions about what’s right for their children and that the company does watch for and filter bullying and harassment. However, BBC reporters were able to create two fake accounts, one claiming to be a 15-year-old and the other a 27-year-old, and freely exchange messages between them suggesting more adult games. This ability to lead children to more mature content is behind much of the game’s controversy, including Roblox‘s recent ban in Turkey, although that particular instance may have more to do with the Turkish government’s stance on LGBT issues.

Roblox CEO Says Parents Can Make Their Own Decisions About Letting Kids Play

In response to the BBC’s findings, Baszucki said the 27-year-old account’s suggestions to move to another, more adult, platform highlight how Roblox is safer by comparison. Feeling the need to hold more mature conversations somewhere else suggests people recognize that Roblox can catch and stop such behavior, the CEO claimed. He also reiterated his confidence in Roblox‘s new parental controls, which give parents additional options for restricting their kids’ screen time, spending, and access to certain kinds of content.

Despite those steps to make the platform safer for young users, times have not been easy for Roblox lately. After the most recent fiscal quarter, Roblox shares fell by 20%, largely due to falling sales and lower user engagement. It’s unclear how much parental concern played a role in that declining performance overall, however.

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Released

September 1, 2006

ESRB

T for Teen

Developer(s)

Roblox Corporation

Publisher(s)

Roblox Corporation