The United States Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime and Counterterrorism has opened a formal investigation into the popular online platform Roblox, asserting that the service appears to place financial gain and user‑engagement metrics ahead of the safety of its youngest participants. In a formal correspondence addressed to Roblox chief executive David Baszucki—reported by Kotaku—Senators Josh Hawley and Dick Durbin warned that the alleged criminal activity occurring on Roblox "warrants congressional scrutiny." The senators wrote, "You present Roblox as a safe digital playground for children as young as five.
Yet the public record raises serious doubts about that promise of safety." Their letter frames the inquiry as a response to mounting evidence that the platform may be enabling, or at least insufficiently policing, a range of harmful behaviors targeting minors. Roblox’s senior safety official, Matt Kaufman, responded to the allegations in a statement to PC Gamer, emphasizing that the company’s core mission is anchored in safety.
"Our platform is built on a foundation of safety," Kaufman said. "We do not compromise on that commitment, and we look forward to sharing the facts about how we work to protect children on the platform." As part of the investigation, Roblox has been ordered to produce a comprehensive set of records concerning child safety, including any incidents of sexual or physical abuse, bullying, and financial exploitation. The deadline for submitting these materials is August 31, 2026.
The committee’s request list comprises nearly 30 distinct categories of documents and data points. Among the items sought are the total number of reports received in 2023, 2024, and 2025 that relate to sexual exploitation, predation, or abuse of users under the age of 18; the internal processes Roblox employs to address those reports; and the count of accounts flagged for such behavior during each of those years. The Senate also wants to know what proportion of these allegations were examined by human reviewers, what percentage of the reported accounts resulted in bans, and how many bullying complaints involved minors in each of the three years.
Additionally, the committee is asking for statistics on investigation outcomes and ban rates associated with those reports. The senators’ letter highlighted a disturbing trend over the past decade: law‑enforcement agencies have arrested numerous individuals for violent and abusive crimes committed against children they met through Roblox. These crimes include grooming, sexual assault, kidnapping, rape, and even homicide. The letter notes that in 2025 Roblox reported more than 65,000 suspected child‑exploitation cases to the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children—more than double the number reported in 2024.
"Roblox is being used to trade child sexual abuse material, to host sexually explicit (and often violent) virtual experiences with children, to bribe and extort minors into producing explicit content, and to lure children into in‑person meetings. It is heartbreaking," the senators wrote. "Let us be clear: children on your platform are hurting.
Congress will not look the other way." The federal inquiry follows a series of legal actions at the state level. Several U.S. states, including Louisiana, and local jurisdictions such as Los Angeles County, have filed lawsuits against Roblox alleging that the platform endangers children. Internationally, the Australian government has also voiced concerns, describing the situation as "of deep concern to many Australian parents and carers." In response to mounting pressure, Roblox has rolled out a number of safety enhancements in recent years.
These measures include disabling direct messaging for users under 13, implementing global facial‑recognition checks to verify user identities, adding a "sensitive issues" tag to flag potentially harmful content within its "experiences" feature, and tightening moderation policies and enforcement actions. Despite these steps, lawmakers argue that the data they have seen suggests the platform’s safeguards are still insufficient. The Senate’s investigation will likely focus on how effectively these safety tools are being deployed, how quickly reports are acted upon, and whether the company’s internal incentives might inadvertently prioritize user growth and revenue over the well‑being of children. Critics argue that Roblox’s business model—centered on in‑game purchases and a vast, user‑generated content ecosystem—creates a fertile environment for bad actors to exploit vulnerable minors.
As the deadline approaches, Roblox faces the daunting task of compiling extensive documentation that details its reporting mechanisms, moderation workflows, and statistical outcomes related to child safety. The outcome of the Senate probe could have far‑reaching implications, potentially prompting new federal regulations governing online platforms that host large numbers of under‑age users. Regardless of the investigation’s final conclusions, the episode underscores a broader societal debate about how digital playgrounds should be regulated, how companies can balance growth with responsibility, and what safeguards are necessary to protect children in an increasingly immersive online world.