We exist in a digital market where platforms prioritize growth and engagement over safety. And let’s be clear—child safety is bad for business in their eyes. More safety measures mean more restrictions, more oversight, and ultimately less time spent on their platform. That’s why so many companies drag their feet when it comes to implementing even the most common-sense protections for kids online.
Time and time again, child safety experts have sounded the alarm, warning that these platforms are designed for profit, not protection. But until lawmakers and regulators step in with real consequences, tech companies will continue outsourcing the responsibility for child safety onto parents while making billions off young users.
The predator problem on Roblox is not a parental control issue.
Roblox is a platform that is aggressively marketed to children. Yet, when questioned by the BBC about safety concerns, co-founder and CEO Dave Baszucki told parents, “If you’re not comfortable, don’t let your kids be on Roblox.”
That’s not accountability. That’s gaslighting.
Roblox Knows Their Parental Controls Are an Illusion
Let’s be clear: Roblox has a predator problem. Safety researchers have reported it. Parents have witnessed it. Survivors have spoken out about it, and there are many lawsuits trying to hold Roblox accountable. And instead of addressing the fundamental issues—like better moderation, stricter age verification, and closing loopholes that predators exploit—the CEO is shifting the blame onto parents.
Think about the audacity of that statement. Roblox spends millions marketing itself to kids, but when safety concerns arise, the CEO tells parents to keep their children off the platform. It’s a deflection tactic—one that subtly implies parents are at fault for letting their kids play a game designed to lure them in.
An appropriate response to his dismissive advice?
The Parent Trap: Competing Against a Billion-Dollar Industry
Yes, we as parents must remain vigilant. But let’s not pretend that simply “monitoring screen time” is enough when we are up against a billion-dollar company that actively works against us.
What Needs to Change?
Parents shouldn’t have to fight these battles alone. We need real accountability.
That means:
Until then, we need to call this what it is: a tech industry that profits from kids while refusing to protect them—and a CEO who tells parents to do his job for him.
Yuck, indeed.