Summary
Robloxhas 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,Robloxwas hit by a class-action lawsuitclaiming 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.
In response to the ongoing criticism, CEO Dave Baszuckitold the BBC that parents shouldn’t let their kids play the gameif 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, includingRoblox’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 howRobloxis safer by comparison. Feeling the need to hold more mature conversations somewhere else suggests people recognize thatRobloxcan catch and stop such behavior, the CEO claimed. He also reiterated his confidence inRoblox’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 forRobloxlately. After the most recent fiscal quarter,Robloxshares 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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