RobloxCEO David Baszucki has once again suggested adding dating options to the game, despite 40% of its players being minors. This isn’t the first time he’s proposed his idea in public, as whispers aboutRobloxbecoming a dating app were heard as far back as 2023.
Two years ago, Baszucki claimed that lonely adults would soon be able to date onRobloxand form meaningful relationships. His statement was immediately met with backlash from both the press and parents. However, the CEO, who believes concernedparents should simply stop their kids from playingRoblox, hasn’t backed down. He still seems just as determined to bring the controversial idea to life.
Speaking on theTechStuff podcast, Baszucki suggested that one day, people aged 21 and older may be able todate onRoblox. He said participants would be ID-verified, and the safety and regulation teams would do their best to keep the feature adult-exclusive. However, given how easily the game’s age restrictions have been bypassed by minors in the past, the idea of adding a dating simulation has many parents worried.
Roblox CEO Controversially Wants to Add Dating to the Game
It’s no secret thatRobloxhas not always successfully protected minors on its platform. Since its launch, the platform has been exploited by ill-intentioned adults to interact with children and, in some cases, arrange to meet them in person. While the CEO believes ID verification is enough to prevent such incidents, current age-verification technologies are still easy to bypass. Recently, for example,Discord users took advantage ofDeath Stranding 2’s realistic photo modeto get around new age restrictions in Britain. And there’s no guarantee that minors won’t find similar workarounds inRobloxto access its supposed adult-only dating feature.
At some point in his interview with TechStuff, the CEO was asked aboutBloomberg’s reporton over a dozenRobloxplayers arrested in the US since 2018 for grooming and other offenses involving minors. Acknowledging the issue, he said the platform is trying to “keep people onRoblox… We don’t want [minors] to go to any other device or any other platform.” However, his idea ofenabling dating inRobloximplies that there will be ways to exchange personal information, since those who date on the app will likely also want to meet in real life. And features like that would only make users on the platform more vulnerable to predators.
It’s unclear how serious Baszucki is about bringing in-game dating to what he calls the “wellness platform” ofRoblox. It’s safe to assume that most parents will not be happy about such a risk-laden idea even being considered by the app’s executives.
