Roblox CEO David Baszucki has once again suggested adding dating options to the game, despite 40% of its users being minors. This isn’t the first time he’s brought up this idea publicly, as rumors about Roblox evolving into a dating app have been circulating since 2023.

Two years prior, Baszucki asserted that lonely adults might soon be able to date within Roblox and forge genuine connections. His suggestion received immediate backlash from the press and parents alike. Nonetheless, the CEO, who believes that worried parents should just prevent their children from using Roblox, remains intent on pursuing this controversial initiative.

In an appearance on the TechStuff podcast, Baszucki indicated that individuals aged 21 and above may one day have the opportunity to date on Roblox. He mentioned that participants would undergo ID verification, and strict safety measures would be enacted to ensure the feature’s adult-only usage. However, given the frequency with which minors have bypassed age restrictions in the game previously, many parents are understandably alarmed at the thought of introducing a dating simulation.

It’s well-known that Roblox hasn’t always been adept at safeguarding minors on its platform. Since its inception, the service has unfortunately been exploited by ill-meaning adults to engage with children, and in certain situations, organize in-person meetings. While Baszucki feels that ID verification suffices to curb such occurrences, current age-checking technologies remain easily circumvented. For instance, Discord users recently gained access to new age limits in Britain by capitalizing on realistic photo modes in titles like Death Stranding 2. There’s also no assurance that young users won’t find similar methods to access Roblox’s supposed adult dating features.

During his interview, the CEO was confronted with a report from Bloomberg citing the arrests of over a dozen Roblox players in the US since 2018 for grooming and related offenses involving minors. Acknowledging the ongoing issue, he mentioned that the platform aims to ‘retain users on Roblox… We want to keep minors from going to any alternative gaming platforms.’ However, his proposition to initiate dating on Roblox implies that avenues for exchanging personal information could emerge, as those aiming to date on the app would likely wish to meet in reality. Such functionalities would further expose users to potential predators on the platform.

It remains uncertain how serious Baszucki is about implementing in-game dating on what he refers to as the ‘wellness platform’ of Roblox. Nonetheless, it’s safe to conclude that most parents would not be pleased with the notion of such a risky idea being entertained by the app’s leadership.