Why Parents Are Banning Roblox: An Overview

It’s almost impossible to be a parent today and not hear about Roblox. Your kids ask for it because their friends play, and you’ve probably noticed it in a couple of headlines. But lately, more parents are walking away from it and completely banning it for their kids. Curious why that is? Here at Bark, we’ve been keeping close tabs on Roblox for years and feel uniquely qualified to break it down for you. We’ve seen all the ways Roblox has tried and neglected to keep kids safer on its platform. Here’s what you should know. 

First, What is Roblox?

For those who are new to the Roblox conversation, let’s start with a quick overview. Roblox isn’t just a game, it’s a platform that hosts millions of user-created games. If you’ve ever heard of Steal a Brainrot, Brookhaven, Adopt Me!, or Rainbow Friends, those are all Roblox games. Not only can kids pick from tons of games, but they can also customize their avatars, collect and spend an in-game currency called Robux, and connect with other Roblox users. 

The Hidden Dangers and Why Parents Are Banning Roblox

Roblox markets itself as a kid-friendly platform, but this doesn’t always match reality. Here is a brief list of the main concerns on Roblox and why many parents are choosing to keep their kids from engaging on the platform. 

• Features that emulate social media apps such as Snapchat, including private messaging, disappearing chats, and friend requests from strangers.
• Frequent financial solicitation of minors; kids feel pressured to spend money and often get scammed out of real money by bad actors or automated “bots.” 
• Violent games that depict gruesome images and behaviors. 
• “Condo games” in which users engage in virtual sexual acts, and lure minors into participating. 
• Known predators who use Roblox’s chat features to target, groom, and sexually harass kids. 

Experts Have Deemed Roblox a “pedophile hellscape.” 

Roblox’s massive popularity has garnered the attention of researchers and child safety activists who have made significant claims against the company. One of these claims came from the Hindenburg group, which described Roblox as a “pedophile hellscape” after its investigation. They claim that Roblox has prioritized growth and engagement over user safety, despite knowing there are active predators on Roblox. 

Other journalists and activists have conducted their own experiments with Roblox to truly test the safety features that Roblox promotes. Many have created a test account that is under 13 with parental controls enabled, and yet the account still encountered inappropriate content and predatory behavior. On the flip side, they have tested Roblox’s age verification processes and have seen how easy it is for any kid to falsify their age and access restricted content on the app. 

Too Many Lawsuits to Count

As of now, five U.S. states have filed lawsuits against Roblox for failure to protect kids from sexual predators and explicit content — Kentucky, Louisiana, Florida, Iowa, and Texas. Not to mention, all the families that have sought legal action against Roblox themselves. While not every lawsuit results in judgment against the company, the sheer volume raises serious questions about how so many kids are having negative experiences while playing Roblox. 

One law firm that is committed to holding Roblox accountable for the harms children have faced on the platform shares just ten of the cases they’re representing. Each of these is a real child who experienced grooming, sexual assault, kidnapping, and even death by suicide due to the actions of predators on Roblox. 

How Roblox Has Responded 

In the face of these lawsuits and claims, Roblox has continued to tout its safety features and says it’s a safe platform for kids. To be fair, Roblox’s parental controls are more comprehensive than those of other platforms. The problem is that these parental controls only work with trust:  trust that kids will follow the rules, and trust that Roblox’s content moderation will block all attempts from predators and bad actors. Parents are becoming less inclined to place their trust in this platform in the face of these risks. 

Roblox’s CEO recently did an interview with the Hard Fork podcast. When asked about how he sees the predator problem on Roblox, he said he doesn’t just see it as a problem; he sees it as an “opportunity.” He went on to express frustration that all the questions were about Roblox’s safety issues, as opposed to more fun features that he preferred to discuss. 

How Should Parents Respond

After hearing all of this, you may be trying to figure out where you and your family land in the Roblox conversation. At the end of the day, all families are different. Some parents feel it’s in their kids’ best interest to ban Roblox entirely. Others allow their child to play it with parental controls and supervision for the same reasons. There’s no right or wrong conclusion, but there is a right approach — be informed about what your child has access to online, keep conversations open with your child, and take advantage of the parental control tools at your disposal. 

How Bark Can Help

If you’re not sure where to start with your child’s online safety, Bark is a great, comprehensive place to start. When it comes to Roblox, we offer screen time management, app and website blocking, and content monitoring. On Androids, if your child is engaging in any inappropriate conversations or searches on Roblox, you’ll be sent an alert right away. 

We offer these parental controls on stand-alone devices with our Bark app, or on the Bark Phone and Bark Watch, where the controls are already built in. You can also use Bark’s screen time and web filtering features for the whole house with the Bark Home. Check out our suite of parental controls products to see which one is the best fit for your family.