- Roblox, with 123 million daily active users globally in the second quarter of 2026, is facing a bipartisan Senate investigation focused on child safety.
- The Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime and Counterterrorism has opened an investigation into Roblox, requesting detailed records on moderation, user activity, revenue, parental controls, and reports involving alleged exploitation.
- Lawmakers are examining how Roblox manages safety risks within its massive digital community, especially concerning the 65,381 reports of suspected child sexual exploitation submitted by the platform to the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children in 2025.
Roblox has become one of the world’s biggest online spaces, with 123 million daily active users globally in the second quarter of 2026. Now, the platform is facing a bipartisan Senate investigation focused on one major question: Is Roblox doing enough to protect the millions of children who use it every day?
The Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime and Counterterrorism has opened an investigation into child safety on Roblox, asking the company for detailed records on moderation, user activity, revenue, parental controls, and reports involving alleged exploitation.
The inquiry does not mean Roblox has been found responsible for wrongdoing. Instead, lawmakers say they want answers about how the company manages safety risks inside a platform that has grown into a massive digital community where children play, socialize, create games, and spend money.
Roblox’s Size Has Made Safety Concerns Harder To Ignore
Roblox reported123 million daily active usersworldwide in the second quarter of 2026, according to its SEC-filed shareholder letter.
The company’s own age-check data shows that younger users make up a significant portion of the verified audience. Among users who completed Roblox’s age-check process during the seven days ending June 30, 35% were under age 13, 38% were between 13 and 17, and 27% were adults.
That means 73% of age-checked users were minors.
However, Roblox also reported that only 57% of global daily active users had completed age checks by the end of the quarter. That means the age breakdown reflects verified users, not every person using the platform.
Roblox’s scale helps explain why lawmakers are examining its systems. A platform with more than 100 million daily users faces a different challenge than a traditional video game because users are constantly interacting with one another.
Senators Want Answers About Safety, Money and Moderation
The investigation began after Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Missouri), chair of the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime and Counterterrorism, and Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Illinois), the ranking member,sent a letter toRoblox CEO David Baszucki.
The senators requested records covering child safety issues dating back to 2016, including information about:
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Reports involving child sexual exploitation, abuse, and bullying
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How many reports were reviewed by humans
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Revenue and Robux purchases by age group
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User engagement among different age groups
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Age verification and parental controls
The letter also asks Roblox to explain how safety protections work inside developer-created experiences, where users can build their own games and features.
The company has been asked to provide the requested information by August 31, 2026.
A Key Concern: Thousands of Suspected Exploitation Reports
One of the most significant figures highlighted by lawmakers is65,381 reports of suspectedchild sexual exploitation submitted by Roblox to the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children in 2025, according to the Senate letter.
The number represents reports of suspected activity, not confirmed crimes, confirmed victims, or confirmed offenders. Still, senators argue the increase requires closer examination.
The letter says Roblox’s public image as a safe digital playground for children raises questions about whether its protections match the platform’s size and complexity.
The investigation will now examine what those reports represent, how Roblox responds to them, and whether existing safeguards are effective.
Real Cases Have Increased Pressure on Online Platforms
The Senate investigation comes after several cases involving individuals who allegedly used Roblox as an initial point of contact with young victims.
In one case in the Netherlands, a court convicted a Romanian teenager after Dutch prosecutors said he used Roblox to meet a young girl before later coercing her into harmful acts online. The conviction involved the defendant’s actions, not a finding that Roblox was legally responsible.
In another case in the United States, the Department of Justice said Missouri woman Julianne Grace Willis pleaded guilty to cyberstalking after prosecutors said she first contacted a minor through a Roblox account before the harassment continued through phone messages and social media.
These cases have contributed to broader concerns about how online platforms prevent adults or other bad actors from using spaces popular with children. Experts have warned that online platforms are often only one part of a larger chain, since conversations can move from gaming platforms to private messaging apps and other services.
Roblox Says It Has Invested Heavily in Protection
Roblox says safety remains central to its operations.
Roblox Chief Safety Officer Matt Kaufman pushed back against concerns about the platform’s protections, saying: “Roblox is built on the foundation of safety. We do not compromise on that commitment. We look forward to sharing the facts about how we work to protect children on the platform.”
The company has introduced tools including parental controls, content filtering, age checks, reporting systems, and restrictions designed around younger users.
The Senate investigation will now focus on how those systems perform at Roblox’s current scale.
The Senate Wants To Know How Roblox’s Growth Connects To Younger Users
One of the more detailed parts of the Senate request focuses on Roblox’s business data. Lawmakers are asking the company to provide revenue, net revenue, and Robux bookings broken down by user age groups, along with information about how much time different age groups spend on the platform.
The request is significant because Roblox’s business model depends heavily on engagement. Users spend Robux, the platform’s virtual currency, to purchase digital items, access experiences, and support creators.
What Comes Next for Roblox
The Senate investigation is still in its early stages. Roblox has not been charged with a crime, and lawmakers have not found that the company violated child-safety laws.
The next turning point will come when Roblox responds to the committee’s request for documents and data. Those answers could clarify how the platform handles safety reports, how much it invests in moderation, and whether its protections are keeping pace with a community that has grown to 123 million daily active users worldwide.
For millions of families who rely on Roblox for play and creativity, the question remains: are the platform’s protections strong enough for the children who use it most?
