The CEO of Roblox has responded to parental concerns about harmful content in the app by telling them they shouldn’t let their kids use it if they are worried …
Roblox is one of the most popular iPhone apps for kids, consistently ranking in the top 10 free apps, and said to be used by around half of all American children below the age of 16. It allows children to create their own mini-games.
But recently there have been growing reports of children being exposed to explicit or harmful content, including adults using the app as a way to try to meet kids, reports BBC News.
The [app], which is the most popular in the UK among young gamers aged eight to 12, has been dogged by claims of some children being exposed to explicit or harmful content through its games, alongside multiple reported allegations of bullying and grooming.
CEO Dave Baszucki says the company does try to detect and block harmful content, but argues that parents should be the ones calling the shots.
When asked what his message is to parents who don’t want their children on the platform, Mr Baszucki said: “My first message would be, if you’re not comfortable, don’t let your kids be on Roblox.”
But parent groups say this is easier said than done.
Mumsnet boss Justine Roberts said parents on the forum had spoken of how they struggled to manage their children’s use of Roblox […]
“If you’ve got multiple children you’re looking after and things happen, and you probably can’t 24/7 watch everything they’re doing, even if you’ve got all your parental controls set.”
Ellie Gibson – from the Scummy Mummies podcast – said Mr Baszucki’s message risked sounding “a bit of a get out” [adding] “it’s much easier said than done, especially when all their friends are playing it.”
Back in 2022, it was revealed that a senior Apple exec had expressed surprise that Roblox was allowed in the App Store.
In a 2017 email, Apple marketing head Trystan Kosmynka said he was “surprised” that “Roboblox” [sic] had been approved for the App Store. Epic Games decided to bring the decision up again in court to try to cast doubt on Apple’s App Store review process.
But Baszucki says there’s a balancing act involved.
“There are tens and tens of parents who call me and say, look, my, my child was having a tough time, they were disconnected, they found connection on our platform and thank goodness they’re here today, they might not be with us if they had not found a connection at that moment in time. So it’s an amazing balance, really our responsibility on safety and civility.”
Image: Roblox
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