“Roblox appears to prioritize revenue and engagement metrics over the safety and well-being of our children."
The two lawmakers, who lead the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime and Counterterrorism, argued the company puts profits ahead of protecting young users: “Roblox appears to prioritize revenue and engagement metrics over the safety and well-being of our children, and the alleged criminal activity on Roblox warrants congressional scrutiny,” they wrote in a letter sent to the company.
Roblox, however, insists that safety remains central to the company's mission: “Roblox is built on the foundation of safety. We do not compromise on that commitment,” chief safety office Matt Kaufman said in a statement. “We look forward to sharing the facts about how we protect children on the platform.”
The senators want CEO David Baszucki to hand over documentation on the platform's protective measures as the Senate is looking into criminals who take advantage of children online. That push to protect children online has been building in Congress. The Commerce Committee advanced a slate of bills last week targeting youth safety on social media.
The senators' letter cites disturbing examples of adults who allegedly committed "serious acts of violence and harm against children they met via Roblox, including grooming, sexual abuse, kidnapping, rape, and even murder."
"Roblox is being used to trade child sexual abuse material, participate in sexually explicit (and often violent) virtual 'experiences' with children, bribe and extort children into producing explicit content, and lure children into in-person meetings," the letter added.
Hawley and Durbin added in the letter, “Let us be clear: children on your platform are hurting. Congress will not look the other way.” Roblox has until Aug. 31 to respond.
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