Roblox right now, really couldn’t hit a lower point. From nefarious scandals such as predators still being caught out (even though the CEO himself said this was no longer an issue), fans wanting to get rid of the CEO via a petition, Chris Hansen reaching out to Schlep (a YouTuber who has claimed reaching out to the police about groomers on the game has led to arrests) and even a congressman Ro Khanna launching an online petition In regard to matters of failing to keep children safe, wow, this all being said after the CEO tried defending the platform not so long back about a potential Roblox Dating… Yikes!
So, let’s dive into this tale of woe which is spelling absolute disaster for the online gaming platform which was originally designed as a space for kids to play games and adventure with friends without fear of harm. Let us start with the nefarious “Roblox Dating” I mentioned. It was announced that the CEO, David Baszucki, was looking at potentially bringing dating to the online platform as a way for people who don’t want to meet face-to-face to date. I think you can deduce the glaring issue with that without me saying it, but if you can’t… Predators: the ones who prey on innocent children. Roblox dating would make it much simpler for them by serving as a conduit for this type of depraved behavior. With the platform already struggling to keep children safe, why would this be suggested?
Baszucki even said that it’s down to individual parenting to oversee what your child accesses on the platform. Now, whilst I agree with the set point that, yes, parents should protect their children, so too should the platform that allows the same kids to use it. This is why, in the UK, they are looking to make it the company or platforms’ responsibility to protect their users when they are using apps or websites with the new Online Safety Law. While it’s still being disputed thanks to the use of ID to access certain online features, it does also thankfully make sure that platforms are protecting the user appropriately.
Moving on, a YouTuber by the name of Schlep has been acting as a vigilante on the controversial platform for a little while and has said himself that some of the accused predators he caught in the act have been charged by the authorities for grooming minors. However, Roblox has since removed him from the site and has banned him. Yes, BANNED HIM. Luckily, though, he has plenty of people on his side and a fair few child safety activist groups and “predator hunters” aiding him. However, anyone found defending Schlep or having the popular hashtag FreeSchlep is also being banned and removed from the site. I know Roblox is just trying to protect its business, but I imagine they’d benefit long term from having people seeking to protect their users. It’s starting to seem like they don’t want to lose any paying customers, no matter how twisted they may be. Then again, they banned the people trying to help.
It looks as though the one and only Chris Hansen of To Catch a Predator and Takedown could be joining forces with Schlep, as there are rumors of plans to make a documentary which investigates the safety issues and wrongdoings going on under the Roblox umbrella. Hansen, who is known for catching elusive predators preying on the vulnerable, is looking to get to the bottom of the issues within the game and figure out more as to why they are still happening when the executives at Roblox are aware of what’s transpiring. This brings with it a big question mark as to what the studio is actually concerned with on the platform, money or safety?
Following all the child safety issues currently ongoing with Roblox, people out there in the community and fans of the game are petitioning for CEO Baszucki to resign and leave the company due to the decisions he’s made and the ongoing tragedies occurring, such as the Roblox Dating proposal. This comes on the heels of fans still having access to harmful games which are being uploaded to Roblox, still active even after criminal activity has occurred during their usage due to the nature of their design. Despite reports being made to the company about this, nothing is currently being done to address the problems at hand.
Adding wood to the already burning Roblox fire. A U.S. Congressman by the name of Ro Khanna has issued an online petition as he says that “Roblox is allowing sexual predators to thrive, unite, hunt and victimize kids” on the platform. He then demanded that the platform does “more to protect children, provide more support to parents and strengthen enforcement protocols.” It’s hard to argue with his cause because children are facing real-world risk, and the company seems to be doing nothing about it other than banning the people trying to stop these practices.
While it’s hard to really say what will happen in the future as this whole horror show continues for Roblox, it is certain that the team there really aren’t helping their case. It’s difficult to support the site and defend it anymore, as once upon a time it used to be a regular gaming platform for younger people to access and play games with their friends and use it for social interaction with other young people. Now it has become a safe haven for predators to utilize it for dark deeds. It’s not a good look for a once mostly safe and popular gaming platform.
All I can say here is to keep your children close and protect them to the best of your abilities as a parent, as it seems the team at Roblox are hiding away from any responsibility. Monitor online activity, teach them, and make sure that you are maintaining safe practices as a guardian! Keep it up gang, be proud as a parent!
