this post was submitted on 16 Aug 2025
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[–] octopus_ink@slrpnk.net 35 points 13 hours ago* (last edited 11 hours ago) (3 children)

Can someone give me the out-of-the-loop on Roblox?

I understand that it's an online gaming platform where there have been accusations of things being unsafe for kids. While bad, this is something that has happened before. Anything specific here that this is in the news so much, or just that it's the biggest most current example?

[–] cybirdman@lemmy.ca 81 points 13 hours ago* (last edited 12 hours ago) (1 children)

The company was recently sued for creating a platform using almost exclusively child labor

The problem is while their target audience is kids, it is heavily monetized and created a market and economy around child created content. It is also impossible to moderate and became a cesspool of predators.

The game itself is comprised of an infinite number of mini games you can try, most of them created by children. Some of them are of a sexual nature and not safe for kids. This makes it really easy for a predator to set up environments where they can groom children.

The players can buy robux with real money and spend this to advertise the games they create, or buy customization items or game passes. They also earn robux when people play their games to incentivize them to create more content. Because of this the company is being sued for essentially child labor, where all their profits revolve around child created games

When I was younger I would also play modded games and create content. I dont think there's anything wrong with that. But the fact that the game monetized it to such an extent is wrong in my opinion. With the predator problem as well it makes it a really unsafe playform for children. As a parent I would never let my children play this.

[–] octopus_ink@slrpnk.net 22 points 12 hours ago (1 children)

Thank you very much! I mentioned it to my oldest son (who is now in his twenties) a couple years ago because my youngest son (who is autistic) seemed like he might be interested in the game. He very emphatically said it wasn't really what it looked like and that he would not recommend it. I didn't ask for more details, but I guess I get it!

[–] roofuskit@lemmy.world 17 points 11 hours ago (2 children)

It's also used as a recruiting platform by white supremacists.

[–] vacuumflower@lemmy.sdf.org 2 points 6 hours ago

Leads me to a question, like someone from Russia where we have our problem of casual racism, but not quite the clean nature of the US one, we have racism very diverse and dependent on the context (some think A are better than B, some that they are equal, but A and B sleeping together warrant a murder, some that A are better than B, but them sleeping together is fine, some that A and B are equal, but should be eternally hostile and don't owe each other noble conduct, or maybe both inequality and segregation, but noble conduct is owed always ... we have multitude of kinds, and for multitude of separations, and in general it's not a clear and firm problem).

And by you using such a designation it seems you are from the US.

How do your non-supremacists (average people) react to a statement that they are exactly as good as black people? How do your supremacists react to such?

(Say, here the first kind would generally not understand why would you say that, or laugh and joke something about how in the ideal world you would be right ; and the second kind would generally respond with sarcasm.)

[–] octopus_ink@slrpnk.net 5 points 11 hours ago (2 children)

Jesus. How is this thing still a thing? (I guess that's also part of the answer to my prior question...)

[–] skulblaka@sh.itjust.works 16 points 10 hours ago

A complete lack of all moderation, an owner / management team who studiously ignores all the child abuse on their platform because it is profitable to them to ignore it, and a legislative and judicial system that is unwilling to prosecute businesses for anything in general and child abuse in particular.

It's a perfect microcosm of the American condition, really.

[–] Zeoic@lemmy.world 12 points 10 hours ago

It is also the most popular game ever created, unfortunately. Just one of the user created games on it tops the list for daily active players of any game ever..