Roblox is a popular gaming platform that caters to kids ranging from high schoolers to five-year-olds. Roblox averages 111.8 million players, ranks 3rd among the most popular games on computers, and has approximately 40 million games or “experiences” available to these players. However, more recently, Roblox has been in the news for legal issues and concerns about its safety for kids. These problems on the platform have been discussed in cases regarding exploited children stemming from Roblox all the way back to 2017. The recent controversy began after a YouTuber by the name of Schlep was banned from Roblox after exposing the prevalence of predators on the platform. Last month at CrimeCon, Chris Hansen, a well-known “predator hunter,” discussed Roblox at his panel, covering a wide range of issues related to the situation. One of the individuals brought into the discussion was Steven Vanderporten, a representative from a Chicago law firm, who discussed their handling of the overwhelming number of Roblox lawsuits and cases.

Stinar Gould Grieco & Hensley Law Firm

Steven Vanderporten is a lawyer from Stinar Gould Grieco & Hensley Law Firm, whose law firm is representing “over 400 alleged victims of abuse” that occurred on platforms like Roblox and Discord. Their focus is on the “systemic failures” that were present in these platforms, which they allege these platforms were aware of but ignored: “enabled exploitation” on their sites. During the panel discussion, Vanderporten was asked if the law firm would consider a class action lawsuit, to which he responded that it was “unlikely” and that what was more likely to occur was all the cases being lumped together by state or under one judge to handle due to the sheer volume of individuals affected in such significant ways. A clarification that was important for both Vanderporten and the other panel members to state is: “Nobody here is trying to kill Roblox.” They aren’t attempting to shut down the platform or prevent kids from accessing it, but rather to “improve it” — specifically, their safety systems to protect kids from similar situations. Vanderporten stated that to him, accountability and justice on behalf of the victims would be if Roblox: “remed[ied] every person who has been harmed” on the platform.

Roblox Developer Conference 

In early September, around the same time as the CrimeCon event, the Roblox Developer Conference (RDC) took place, discussing their response to the recent outcry over safety failings and the mishandling of their creators. Notably, the opening statements by Roblox CEO David Baszucki celebrated the “41%” growth in users and the “$1 Billion” earned by the Roblox community and its developers. This choice is particularly ironic, given that a key argument made by those calling out Roblox is that it prioritizes growing its user base and profits over protecting its young audience. This can be considered an inappropriate and untimely decision regarding how to begin their presentation, as it coincides with a time when the company is being actively criticized for these desired results, prioritizing their decisions over user safety and protection. Following this, they immediately address the matters concerning their safety protocols, claiming that they “really appreciate the open dialogue”; however, they failed to acknowledge their banning of Schlep.

Schlep, during his time on Roblox, stated multiple times that he had attempted to contact Roblox, going so far as to send them a physical binder of evidence that was also shared with law enforcement, but received no response until this ban and cease-and-desist. Chris Hansen also stated during the CrimeCon panel that Roblox “had the opportunity” to make Schlep a “partner” or “ambassador of safety” on the platform, given his connection to the community and understanding of the dangers it poses. Steven Vanderporten even went so far as to assert that, essentially, what Roblox is doing is delivering “flowery positive statements about… safety,” while, behind the scenes, the company is “silenc[ing] critics” in its community. By not addressing the Schlep situation, which contradicts their claimed openness to dialogue, it raises questions about how the company is actually handling feedback and communication.

Another statement made by Roblox is that they have “world-class” text and voice filters, ensuring that no inappropriate conversations can occur during these experiences. However, what Roblox doesn’t account for is off-platform communication via platforms like Discord. Discord lacks this filter, and despite claiming otherwise and attempting to ban mentions of Discord in texts, people have found workarounds that allow users to send contact information, effectively taking them off-platform. While some might argue this is beyond Roblox’s control and that it claims no responsibility for what occurs on other websites, Roblox itself allows users to promote different communication methods on their profiles. So even if their text filters can’t catch everything, and they can’t control what happens off-platform, Roblox itself still promotes users to communicate off-platform, something that isn’t addressed during their conference but is mentioned by those at the CrimeCon panel. 

The Problem With “Robux”

(Icon for Roblox currency, “Robux”)

Another proposed problem that stems from the way Roblox has structured its platform is its online digital currency, referred to as “Robux”. Robux is purchased with real money and can be spent on the platform for cosmetic items for players’ digital avatars, specific game experiences locked by developers behind paywalls, and emotes to animate avatars. Critics of Roblox raise two major concerns: that certain items on the platform are inappropriate or enable inappropriate interactions. For example, emotes that would allow users to recreate suggestive movements. The second concern is that kids are incentivized to earn Robux to improve their avatar’s appearance or access games. This becomes a problem when creators on Roblox, who are regular players who create games and experiences on the platform, can earn Robux from their games. With this income, they are capable of bribing children with the promise of Robux for complying with their demands, resulting in children being exploited in the hopes of receiving Robux. This places these developers into a position of power over other users, who are usually young children, unaware of what they are actually doing, and are manipulated into inappropriate and exploitative situations. 

Schlep himself was even a victim of one of these situations, explaining that he and other kids looked up to the creators of their favorite Roblox games as heroes. This becomes another element that allows these creators to gain even more control, and, worse, Roblox often isn’t quick to handle these situations when they do occur. When Schlep’s mother had attempted to reach out to Roblox about the situation regarding the developer, she was told to “reach out to her local law enforcement”, and the creator wasn’t banned until years later. This appears to be a pattern with Roblox, giving creators an extended period to review their content and address violations of its policies and terms of service. Roblox argues that it doesn’t want to discriminate against creators, wants to give them thorough and fair reviews, and allows them time to respond and defend themselves. This is why, Roblox claims, they don’t ban creators or delete games off the platform even if they house harmful people or content, such as a notorious example well–known by the community, “Meepcity”, where there have been well-reported issues for years over how predators utilize the game and contain inappropriate content for children to be exposed to. The problem is that when Roblox banned Schlep, he wasn’t given any warning or chance to appeal the ban, let alone the supposed thorough and fair review that Roblox insists it provides its users. 

The Future of Roblox

Roblox reaffirms their commitment to security and protective measures, claiming to be on the cutting edge of age-verification and monitoring; But until they acknowledge and repay the victims affected by these problems, and take actual measurable steps towards improving their platform’s safety infrastructure, such as more employees dedicated to security, better communication between their community and company, and acting faster on information they obtain, the victims and those seeking to defend them will likely continue to call for Roblox to reform and affirm their protection of the children present on their site. The panelists at CrimeCon offered suggestions to both children playing and the parents monitoring them, which boiled down to this: The solution isn’t to isolate them from what they want. They state that if a kid really wants to do something, they will eventually find a way to do so. They also acknowledge that, in life and online, they will be presented with situations where people are looking to take advantage of them. Therefore, they should learn how to avoid and handle these situations rather than never confronting them and finding themselves unprepared. The panelists suggest that open and honest communication, monitoring, and, if necessary, parental controls go a long way toward preventing these situations from happening or spiraling out of control.