Roblox: Difference between revisions

Revision as of 09:57, 8 August 2025

Revision as of 15:09, 8 August 2025

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The growth of Roblox, both as a platform and as a company, continued into 2021 and the following years.<ref name=":35">{{Cite news |last=Stanton |first=Rich |date=2022-02-16 |title=If Roblox's daily users were a country, it would be bigger than Canada |url=https://www.pcgamer.com/if-robloxs-daily-users-were-a-country-it-would-be-bigger-than-canada/ |access-date=2025-02-06 |work=[[PC Gamer]] |language=en}}</ref><ref name=":36">{{Cite web |last=Monica |first=Paul R. La |date=2021-03-10 |title=Roblox goes public and the gaming platform is instantly worth more than $45 billion |url=https://www.cnn.com/2021/03/10/investing/roblox-stock-direct-listing/index.html |access-date=2025-02-06 |website=[[CNN]] |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Diaz |first=Ana |date=2021-03-11 |title=Why is everyone talking about Roblox? |url=https://www.polygon.com/22326123/what-is-roblox-explainer-public-offering |access-date=2025-02-06 |website=Polygon |language=en-US}}</ref> In March 2021, the Roblox Corporation [[Initial public offering|went public]], and became valued at $45 billion.<ref name=":36" /> Throughout 2021, Roblox averaged 45.5 million daily active users, a 40% increase from the end of 2020.<ref name=":35" /> In 2023, Roblox released public beta versions of the platform for [[Quest 2]] and [[Meta Quest Pro]] on July 27, with full versions released in September.<ref name="QuestBeta2">{{cite news |last1=Peters |first1=Jay |date=July 27, 2023 |title=Roblox is now available to try on Meta Quest VR headsets |url=https://www.theverge.com/2023/7/27/23810093/meta-quest-roblox-vr-headsets-beta |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230909082101/https://www.theverge.com/2023/7/27/23810093/meta-quest-roblox-vr-headsets-beta |archive-date=September 9, 2023 |access-date=September 9, 2023 |work=[[The Verge]]}}</ref> At the same time, a port of Roblox to the [[PlayStation 4]] were announced,<ref name="QuestRelease2">{{cite news |last1=Peters |first1=Jay |date=September 8, 2023 |title=Roblox is finally coming to PlayStation |url=https://www.theverge.com/2023/9/8/23863712/roblox-playstation-ps4-ps5-rdc-2023 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230909081415/https://www.theverge.com/2023/9/8/23863712/roblox-playstation-ps4-ps5-rdc-2023 |archive-date=September 9, 2023 |access-date=September 9, 2023 |work=[[The Verge]]}}</ref> and later released on October 10.<ref name="PSRelease2">{{Cite web |last=Phillips |first=Tom |date=September 14, 2023 |title=Roblox launches on PlayStation in October |url=https://www.eurogamer.net/roblox-launches-on-playstation-in-october |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230925053738/https://www.eurogamer.net/roblox-launches-on-playstation-in-october |archive-date=September 25, 2023 |access-date=September 21, 2023 |website=[[Eurogamer]] |language=en}}</ref> It is playable on the [[PlayStation 5]] via [[backward compatibility]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Carcasole |first=David |date=2023-10-10 |title=Roblox Is Now Available On PS5 And PS4 |url=https://www.psu.com/news/roblox-is-now-available-on-ps5-and-ps4/ |access-date=2025-08-04 |website=PlayStation Universe |language=en-US}}</ref> In 2021, Roblox made it to where games on the platform are referred to as "experiences" following the platform's involvement in the [[Epic Games v. Apple]] lawsuit.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Batchelor |first=James |date=2022-04-01 |title=Roblox backs Apple in ongoing battle against Epic's appeal |url=https://www.gamesindustry.biz/roblox-backs-apple-in-ongoing-battle-against-epics-appeal |access-date=2025-02-06 |website=[[GamesIndustry.biz]] |language=en}}</ref> In June of that year, Roblox was sued by the [[National Music Publishers' Association]] (NMPA), alleging that the platform allowed users to upload copyrighted music without obtaining proper licensing, and made children believe that [[Music piracy|pirating music]] was acceptable.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Powell |first1=Tori |date=10 June 2021 |title=Music publishers sue Roblox in $200 million copyright infringement lawsuit |url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/music-publishers-sue-roblox-copyright-infringement-lawsuit/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250106183536/https://www.cbsnews.com/news/music-publishers-sue-roblox-copyright-infringement-lawsuit/ |archive-date=January 6, 2025 |access-date=6 January 2025 |website=[[CBS News]]}}</ref> The lawsuit was dropped by September, ending with the Roblox Corporation and the NMPA forming a collaboration to establish a framework for future publisher partnerships.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Olson |first1=Cathy |date=27 September 2021 |title=National Music Publishers Assn. Drops $200 Million Roblox Lawsuit, Forms Partnership For Metaverse |url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/cathyolson/2021/09/27/national-music-publishers-assn-drops-200-mil-roblox-lawsuit-forms-partnership-for-metaverse/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220128092815/https://www.forbes.com/sites/cathyolson/2021/09/27/national-music-publishers-assn-drops-200-mil-roblox-lawsuit-forms-partnership-for-metaverse/ |archive-date=January 28, 2022 |access-date=6 January 2025 |website=[[Forbes]]}}</ref>

After being given permission in late 2020, Roblox released in China in July 2021.<ref name=":39" /> This version of the platform, officially known as LuoBu,<ref>{{Cite web |author=Sophie McEvoy |date=2023-10-24 |title=Roblox China affected by layoffs |url=https://www.gamesindustry.biz/roblox-china-affected-by-layoffs |access-date=2025-02-27 |website=GamesIndustry.biz |language=en |archive-date=February 28, 2025 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250228000427/https://www.gamesindustry.biz/roblox-china-affected-by-layoffs |url-status=live }}</ref> was published and operated by Tencent,<ref name=":39">{{Cite web |last=Liang |first=Lu-Hai |date=2022-01-09 |title=Roblox Shuts Down In China As It Works On Rebuild |url=https://www.thegamer.com/roblox-closes-in-china-rebuilding/ |access-date=2025-02-06 |website=[[TheGamer]] |language=en}}</ref> and was heavily restricted due to [[Video games in China|China's regulations on video games]].<ref name=":40">{{Cite web |title=Roblox's China ambitions risk falling flat |url=https://www.ft.com/content/8542ddf7-0962-4019-9450-10f2ec7b9d07 |access-date=2025-02-06 |website=[[Financial Times]] |date=November 20, 2021 |language=en-GB |last1=Olcott |first1=Eleanor }}</ref> LuoBu failed to grow to substantially throughout its history, and was unable to generate much profit.<ref name=":40" /> In January 2022, LuoBu was shut down, with Roblox stating that they were going to redevelop the release, and that LuoBu was only ever intended to be a test version.<ref name=":39" /> In July of that year, documents of business slides from presentations as early as 2017 were leaked online by an unknown hacker. These documents revealed that the Roblox Corporation was planning to make several changes to the platform worldwide to comply with [[Internet censorship in China|Chinese internet censorship laws]], and that prior to canceling operations, they were concerned that Tencent would hack the platform and attempt to create a competitor.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Cox |first=Joseph |date=July 26, 2022 |title=Revealed: Documents Show How Roblox Planned to Bend to Chinese Censorship |url=https://www.vice.com/en/article/revealed-documents-show-how-roblox-planned-to-bend-to-chinese-censorship/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220725142942/https://www.vice.com/en/article/wxndpx/revealed-documents-show-how-roblox-planned-to-bend-to-chinese-censorship |archive-date=July 25, 2022 |access-date=July 18, 2022 |website=[[Motherboard (website)|Motherboard]] |publisher=Vice Media Group LLC}}</ref>

Roblox's business model throughout this time has continued to be based around creating a metaverse, and attempting to increase the platform's appeal.<ref name=":37">{{Cite web |last=Takahashi |first=Dean |date=2021-01-27 |title=Roblox CEO Dave Baszucki believes users will create the metaverse |url=https://venturebeat.com/games/roblox-ceo-dave-baszucki-believes-users-will-create-the-metaverse/ |access-date=2025-02-06 |website=[[VentureBeat]] |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Wakefield |first=Jane |date=2021-03-10 |title=Roblox: How the children's game became a $30bn bet on the Metaverse |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-56345586 |access-date=2025-02-06 |language=en-GB}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Robertson |first=Adi |date=2021-10-04 |title=What is the metaverse, and do I have to care? |url=https://www.theverge.com/22701104/metaverse-explained-fortnite-roblox-facebook-horizon |access-date=2025-02-06 |website=[[The Verge]] |language=en-US |archive-date=January 19, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220119112805/https://www.theverge.com/22701104/metaverse-explained-fortnite-roblox-facebook-horizon |url-status=live }}</ref> In 2021, Baszucki further detailed the companies vision for Roblox to become a metaverse, highlighting "eight different characteristics" that the platform would strive to accommodate for. He also discussed the ''[[Ready Player One]]'' and ''[[Ready Player Two]]'' books as being inspirations for the company's ideas.<ref name=":37" /> Features that were added to Roblox during this time have included [[Voice chat in online gaming|voice chat]]<ref>{{Cite web |last=Peters |first=Jay |date=2021-09-03 |title=Roblox is getting voice chat, starting first with 'Spatial Voice' |url=https://www.theverge.com/2021/9/2/22654884/roblox-voice-chat-spatial-moderation-discord |access-date=2025-02-06 |website=[[The Verge]] |language=en-US}}</ref> for users over the age of 13 that had their age [[ID verification service|verified through ID]].<ref name=":25">{{Cite news |last=Grayson |first=Nathan |date=November 16, 2021 |title=Roblox voice chat checks ID to keep kids safe, but slurs and sex sounds slip through |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/video-games/2021/11/16/roblox-voice-chat-id-requirement-slurs/ |access-date=February 6, 2025 |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]}}</ref> Voice chat was then followed by facial animations based on the real-world motion tracking of the players face, which was announced in 2022<ref name=":38">{{Cite web |last=Takahashi |first=Dean |date=2022-09-09 |title=Roblox is rolling out voice chat, high-fidelity avatars, and age recommendations |url=https://venturebeat.com/games/roblox-is-rolling-out-voice-chat-high-fidelity-avatars-and-age-recommendations/ |access-date=2025-02-06 |website=[[VentureBeat]] |language=en-US}}</ref> and released in 2023.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Diaz |first=Ana |date=2023-08-04 |title=Roblox's new face tracking feature is for the memes |url=https://www.polygon.com/23820632/roblox-new-face-tracking-memes-update-tiktok |access-date=2025-02-06 |website=[[Polygon (website)|Polygon]] |language=en-US}}</ref> In March 2024, two [[generative artificial intelligence]] tools that were added to Roblox Studio in an effort to speed up content creation. These tools were for automatic avatar customization and texture generation, the former being able to automatically convert three-dimensional body meshes into live-animated avatars and the latter creating textures of objects based on a [[text-to-image model]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Rousseau |first=Jeffrey |date=March 20, 2024 |title=Roblox unveils new AI-powered creation tools |url=https://www.gamesindustry.biz/roblox-unveils-new-ai-powered-creation-tools-news-in-brief |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240320134636/https://www.gamesindustry.biz/roblox-unveils-new-ai-powered-creation-tools-news-in-brief |archive-date=March 20, 2024 |access-date=March 25, 2024 |website=[[GamesIndustry.biz]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Irwin |first=Kate |date=March 18, 2024 |title=Roblox Launches New Generative AI Texture and Avatar Tools for Creators |url=https://uk.pcmag.com/ai/151470/roblox-launches-new-generative-ai-texture-and-avatar-tools-for-creators |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240319070357/https://uk.pcmag.com/ai/151470/roblox-launches-new-generative-ai-texture-and-avatar-tools-for-creators |archive-date=March 19, 2024 |access-date=March 25, 2024 |website=[[PCMag]]}}</ref>

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Roblox has been criticized several times due to the content that is present on the platform,<ref name=":5">{{Cite web |date=2022-08-31 |title=People hate Roblox more than any other app in 21 countries |url=https://www.pcgamesn.com/roblox/people-hate-roblox |access-date=2025-02-04 |website=PCGamesN |language=en-US |archive-date=August 13, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240813222230/https://www.pcgamesn.com/roblox/people-hate-roblox |url-status=live}}</ref> specifically the presence of sexual<ref name=":8">{{Cite news |last=Conklin |first=Audrey |date=August 25, 2020 |title=Roblox teen gamers engage in sexual behavior in platform's 'red light district': report |url=https://www.foxbusiness.com/technology/roblox-discord-teen-gamers-inappropriate |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210101115812/https://www.foxbusiness.com/technology/roblox-discord-teen-gamers-inappropriate |archive-date=January 1, 2021 |access-date=December 19, 2020 |work=[[Fox Business]]}}</ref><ref name=":9">{{cite web |author1=Carville, Olivia |author2=D'Anastasio, Cecillia |date=July 22, 2024 |title=Roblox's Pedophile Problem |url=https://www.bloomberg.com/features/2024-roblox-pedophile-problem/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240726190606/https://www.bloomberg.com/features/2024-roblox-pedophile-problem/ |archive-date=July 26, 2024 |access-date=July 27, 2024 |website=[[Bloomberg Businessweek]] |publisher=[[Bloomberg L.P.]]}}</ref> or politically extremist-related material.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Farivar |first=Cyrus |date=August 22, 2019 |title=Extremists creep into Roblox, an online game popular with children |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/tech/tech-news/extremists-creep-roblox-online-game-popular-children-n1045056 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210311180608/https://www.nbcnews.com/tech/tech-news/extremists-creep-roblox-online-game-popular-children-n1045056 |archive-date=March 11, 2021 |access-date=August 19, 2020 |work=[[NBC News]]}}</ref><ref name=":10">{{Cite magazine |last=D'Anastasio |first=Cecilia |title=How 'Roblox' Became a Playground for Virtual Fascists |url=https://www.wired.com/story/roblox-online-games-irl-fascism-roman-empire/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210910175853/https://www.wired.com/story/roblox-online-games-irl-fascism-roman-empire/ |archive-date=2021-09-10 |access-date=2023-11-27 |magazine=Wired |language=en-US |issn=1059-1028|date=2021-06-10}}</ref><ref name=":11">{{Cite web |last=Batchelor |first=James |date=March 3, 2023 |title=US Congress "disappointed" with companies' response to extremism concerns |url=https://www.gamesindustry.biz/us-congress-disappointed-with-companies-response-to-extremism-concerns |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231222160611/https://www.gamesindustry.biz/us-congress-disappointed-with-companies-response-to-extremism-concerns |archive-date=December 22, 2023 |access-date=November 27, 2023 |website=GamesIndustry.biz |language=en}}</ref><ref name=":15">{{Cite web |last=Brandom |first=Russell |date=August 17, 2021 |title=Roblox is struggling to moderate re-creations of mass shootings |url=https://www.theverge.com/2021/8/17/22628624/roblox-moderation-trust-and-safety-terrorist-content-christchurch |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240114145027/https://www.theverge.com/2021/8/17/22628624/roblox-moderation-trust-and-safety-terrorist-content-christchurch |archive-date=January 14, 2024 |access-date=November 27, 2023 |website=The Verge |language=en}}</ref> Similarly, its chat and game filtration system has been negatively received.<ref name="Roblox criticism">{{Cite news |last1=Vengattil |first1=Munsif |last2=Munn |first2=Joseph |date=November 19, 2020 |title=Kids gaming platform Roblox faces hurdles ahead of public listing: rough words |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/uk-gaming-roblox-content-focus/kids-gaming-platform-roblox-faces-hurdles-ahead-of-public-listing-rough-words-idUKKBN27Z1GK |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210228182015/https://www.reuters.com/article/uk-gaming-roblox-content-focus/kids-gaming-platform-roblox-faces-hurdles-ahead-of-public-listing-rough-words-idUKKBN27Z1GK |archive-date=February 28, 2021 |access-date=December 17, 2020 |work=[[Reuters]]}}</ref><ref name=":1">{{Cite news |last=Stonehouse |first=Rachel |date=May 29, 2020 |title=Roblox: 'I thought he was playing an innocent game' |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-48450604 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210329041522/https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-48450604 |archive-date=March 29, 2021 |access-date=December 17, 2020 |work=[[BBC News]]}}</ref> Examples of sexual or politically extreme content that has appeared on the platform throughout its history include places themed around virtual [[sex club]]s and [[nightclub]]s, all of which are generally referred to as "condo" games,<ref name=":8" /> and content related to [[Far-right politics|far-right ideologies]] such as [[neo-fascism]] and [[neo-Nazism]],<ref name=":10" /><ref name=":15" /> such as games that allow players to [[Role-playing|roleplay]] as Nazis or recreate real world massacres such as the [[Christchurch mosque shootings]],<ref name=":15" /><ref name=":10" /> the [[Columbine High School massacre]] and the [[Uvalde school shooting]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=April 21, 2025 |title=The Dark Side of Roblox: 'Active Shooter Studios' Create Maps Based on Real-Life Mass Shootings |url=https://www.adl.org/resources/article/dark-side-roblox-active-shooter-studios-create-maps-based-real-life-mass |publisher=Anti-Defamation League}}</ref> To combat the presence of this content, Roblox has over 1,600 people working to remove such material from the platform,<ref name="Roblox criticism" /> and also offers privacy settings and [[parental controls]];<ref>{{Cite news |last=Magid |first=Larry |date=November 5, 2020 |title=Larry Magid: Keeping kids safe on Roblox |url=https://www.mercurynews.com/2020/11/05/keeping-kids-safe-on-roblox/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201128034053/https://www.mercurynews.com/2020/11/05/keeping-kids-safe-on-roblox/ |archive-date=November 28, 2020 |access-date=December 17, 2020 |work=[[The Mercury News]]}}</ref> a 2020 investigation by ''[[Fast Company]]'' found that sexual content was very prevalent on Roblox and likened attempts to remove the material to [[Whac-A-Mole|whack-a-mole]].<ref name="SLV">{{Cite news |last=Helm |first=Burt |date=August 19, 2020 |title=Sex, lies, and video games: Inside Roblox's war on porn |url=https://www.fastcompany.com/90539906/sex-lies-and-video-games-inside-roblox-war-on-porn |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200819180554/https://www.fastcompany.com/90539906/sex-lies-and-video-games-inside-roblox-war-on-porn |archive-date=August 19, 2020 |access-date=December 19, 2020 |website=[[Fast Company]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Cole |first=Samantha |date=November 21, 2020 |title=Roblox Goes Public, Says Child Pornography Is a Risk to Its Business |url=https://www.vice.com/en/article/roblox-goes-public-says-child-pornography-is-a-risk-to-its-business/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201201184039/https://www.vice.com/en/article/epdzxk/roblox-goes-public-says-child-pornography-is-a-risk-to-its-business |archive-date=December 1, 2020 |access-date=December 19, 2020 |website=[[Vice Media|Motherboard]]}}</ref> The platform has also seen numerous reports of [[Online predator|sexual predation on child players]],<ref name=":31">{{cite web |last1=Stanton |first1=Rich |date=8 August 2024 |title=Turkey just straight-up banned Roblox for 'child exploitation' |url=https://www.pcgamer.com/gaming-industry/turkey-just-straight-up-banned-roblox-for-child-exploitation/ |access-date=10 August 2024 |website=[[PCGamer]]}}</ref><ref name=":9" /> which a 2024 ''[[Bloomberg Businessweek]]'' report attributed to insufficient moderation, which has been viewed as overly reliant on [[artificial intelligence]], and also due to how users on the platform are anonymous.<ref name=":9" /> Since January 2025, United States police have arrested at least six people alledged to have used Roblox to find and sexually exploit children, including "coercing minors into making pornography".<ref>{{cite web |url=https://aftermath.site/roblox-sexual-exploitation-of-children-lawsuit-safety |title=Roblox Accused Of Allowing Sexual Exploitation In Four Separate Lawsuits |last=Carpenter |first=Nicole |date=June 25, 2025 |access-date=July 2, 2025 |website=[[Aftermath (website)|Aftermath]]}}</ref>

Roblox's business model has also been criticized, with the platform being accused of featuring exploitative practices that target children;<ref name=":6">{{Cite web |last=Yin-Poole |first=Wesley |date=August 20, 2021 |title=Roblox "exploiting" young game developers, new investigation reports |url=https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2021-08-20-roblox-exploiting-young-game-developers-new-investigation-reports |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211204162801/https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2021-08-20-roblox-exploiting-young-game-developers-new-investigation-reports |archive-date=December 4, 2021 |access-date=December 4, 2021 |website=[[Eurogamer]] |publisher=[[Gamer Network]]}}</ref><ref name=":7">{{Cite web |last=Wen |first=Alan |date=August 20, 2021 |title='Roblox' is allegedly exploiting young game developers |url=https://www.nme.com/news/gaming-news/roblox-is-allegedly-exploiting-young-game-developers-3024548 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211204162801/https://www.nme.com/news/gaming-news/roblox-is-allegedly-exploiting-young-game-developers-3024548 |archive-date=December 4, 2021 |access-date=December 4, 2021 |website=[[NME]] |publisher=[[BandLab Technologies]]}}</ref> Professor Jane Juffer at [[Cornell University]] accused Roblox of encouraging [[consumerism]] in children.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Juffer |first=Jane |title=Don't use your words! : children's emotions in a networked world |date=2019 |publisher=NYU Press |isbn=9781479833054 |___location=New York}}</ref> Some found that the platform made it very easy to purchase [[microtransaction]]s, leading to numerous instances where children have spent large sums of money on the platform without parents' knowledge.<ref>{{Cite web |date=January 31, 2020 |title=Roblox: Wrexham mum's warning after daughter's iPad bill |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-51328762 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210421155823/https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-51328762 |archive-date=April 21, 2021 |access-date=April 21, 2021 |website=[[BBC News]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Tims |first=Anna |date=March 11, 2020 |title=My kids spent £600 on their iPads without my knowledge |url=https://www.theguardian.com/money/2020/mar/11/my-kids-spent-600-on-their-ipads-without-my-knowledge |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210421155823/https://www.theguardian.com/money/2020/mar/11/my-kids-spent-600-on-their-ipads-without-my-knowledge |archive-date=April 21, 2021 |access-date=April 21, 2021 |website=[[The Guardian]]}}</ref> In April 2022, [[Truth in Advertising (organization)|Truth in Advertising]] filed a complaint against Roblox with the [[Federal Trade Commission]] for [[false advertising]], mainly failing to disclose when advertising is present, such as with [[advergame]]s and [[brand ambassador]]s.<ref name="Polygon ad" /> As a response, Roblox hid advertisements from users under the age of 13 starting in March 2023.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Rousseau |first=Jeffrey |date=March 31, 2023 |title=Roblox will hide ads for users 13 and under |url=https://www.gamesindustry.biz/roblox-will-hide-ads-for-users-13-and-under |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230525165303/https://www.gamesindustry.biz/roblox-will-hide-ads-for-users-13-and-under |archive-date=May 25, 2023 |access-date=May 25, 2023 |website=[[GamesIndustry.biz]] |publisher=[[Gamer Network]]}}</ref> However, these restrictions did not apply to advergames, leading to further criticism by Truth in Advertising and children's digital rights organization 5Rights.<ref name="TheObserverRoblox" /> [[Investigative journalism]] [[YouTube]] channel ''[[People Make Games]]'' accused the platform of "[[Exploitation of labour|exploiting]]" younger game developers by promising them large amounts of money from creating games, only to apply high revenue cuts and leaving creators with little to no income. They likened the platform's business model to a [[company scrip]].<ref name=":6" /><ref name=":7" /> After Roblox requested the channel to take down the video, ''People Make Games'' released several more accusations towards Roblox, focused on an alleged lack of oversight of developers and a method for people to address developer abuse, leading to child developers being exploited for labor on third-party platform's. They also criticized the platform's virtual economy, comparing the limited collectibles market to [[gambling]].<ref name=":0" /><ref>{{Cite web |last=Nightangale |first=Ed |date=December 14, 2021 |title=Roblox accused of being an unsafe environment for children |url=https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2021-12-14-roblox-accused-of-being-unsafe-environment-for-children |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211217232341/https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2021-12-14-roblox-accused-of-being-unsafe-environment-for-children |archive-date=December 17, 2021 |access-date=December 17, 2021 |website=[[Eurogamer]] |publisher=[[Gamer Network]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Chalk |first=Andy |date=December 14, 2021 |title=Roblox faces new allegations of being unsafe for children |url=https://www.pcgamer.com/roblox-faces-new-allegations-of-being-unsafe-for-children/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211217232336/https://www.pcgamer.com/roblox-faces-new-allegations-of-being-unsafe-for-children/ |archive-date=December 17, 2021 |access-date=December 17, 2021 |website=[[PC Gamer]] }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Sinclair |first=Brendan |date=December 13, 2021 |title=Roblox criticized for lack of safeguards for kids, stock-market-like collectibles |url=https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2021-12-13-roblox-criticized-for-lack-of-safeguards-for-children-stock-market-like-collectibles |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211217234808/https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2021-12-13-roblox-criticized-for-lack-of-safeguards-for-children-stock-market-like-collectibles |archive-date=December 17, 2021 |access-date=December 17, 2021 |website=[[GamesIndustry.biz]] |publisher=[[Gamer Network]]}}</ref> It has also been accused by [[Hindenburg Research]] of artificially inflating its monthly active player count.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Batchelor |first=James |date=2024-10-09 |title=Roblox refutes allegations of inflating metrics for investors and failing to protect minors |url=https://www.gamesindustry.biz/roblox-refutes-allegations-of-inflating-metrics-for-investors-and-failing-to-protect-minors |access-date=2025-02-11 |website=[[GamesIndustry.biz]] |language=en}}</ref>

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