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Critical reception of Roblox has been generally positive. [[Common Sense Media]] rated Roblox 4 out of 5 stars, praising the website's variety of games and ability to encourage creativity in children while finding that the decentralized nature of the platform meant game quality varied, and recommended disabling chat functions for young players to prevent possibly harmful interactions.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Brereton |first=Erin |date=November 14, 2019 |title=Roblox |url=https://www.commonsensemedia.org/website-reviews/roblox |access-date=June 24, 2020 |website=[[Common Sense Media]] |archive-date=December 8, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101208171007/https://www.commonsensemedia.org/website-reviews/roblox |url-status=live }}</ref> Patricia E. Vance of the [[Family Online Safety Institute]] advised parents to monitor their child's interactions on the platform but praised the platform for "...allowing kids to play, explore, socialize, create and learn in a self-directed way", and granting special praise to Roblox Studio for its ability to encourage children to experience game development.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Vance |first=Patricia E. |date=December 19, 2018 |title=What Parents Need To Know About Roblox |url=https://www.fosi.org/good-digital-parenting/what-parents-need-know-about-roblox/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200708131228/https://www.fosi.org/good-digital-parenting/what-parents-need-know-about-roblox/ |archive-date=July 8, 2020 |access-date=June 27, 2020 |website=[[Family Online Safety Institute]]}}</ref> ''[[Trusted Reviews]]'', in its overview of the platform, also praised Roblox Studio, stating that "for anyone seeking to develop their computer science skills, or create projects that will instantly receive feedback from a huge audience, the appeal is obvious".<ref>{{Cite web |last=Mahboubian-Jones |first=Justin |date=December 15, 2016 |title=What is Roblox? The world's most popular game you might not have heard of |url=https://www.trustedreviews.com/opinion/what-is-roblox-the-world-s-most-popular-game-you-might-not-have-heard-of-2946534 |access-date=August 1, 2016 |website=[[Trusted Reviews]] |publisher=[[TI Media]] |archive-date=October 9, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171009024509/http://www.trustedreviews.com/opinion/what-is-roblox-the-world-s-most-popular-game-you-might-not-have-heard-of-2946534 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
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" /> In response to perceived moderation issues, there have been instances where players have formed teams to expose or mass report predatory content and users on the platform.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Hales |first=Adam |date=2025-08-12 |title=Roblox faces backlash after banning YouTuber Schlep, a vigilant figure exposing predators on their platform. Controversy unfolds. |url=https://www.windowscentral.com/gaming/roblox-faces-backlash-for-banning-youtuber-who-aimed-to-expose-platform-predators-and-threatens-legal-action |access-date=2025-08-12 |website=[[Windows Central]] |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Burch |first=Christopher |date=2025-08-12 |title=YouTuber caught sexual predators on Roblox. Now he’s facing ban from the platform. |url=https://www.nj.com/entertainment/2025/08/youtuber-caught-sexual-predators-on-roblox-now-hes-facing-ban-from-the-platform.html |access-date=2025-08-12 |website=[[NJ.com]] |language=en}}</ref> Since January 2025, United States police have arrested at least six people
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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