Children as young as five were able to interact with random adults on Roblox, exposing underage users to poorly moderated content and adult sexualized avatar interactions. The company's public-market incentives have prioritized monetization over child protection, while many platforms still rely on email/SIM logins that ignore reliable age verification. Sprocket, a peer-to-peer bicycle marketplace app, proactively blocks under-18 users, works with Apple to improve developer systems, advocates Apple Wallet ID and AI-driven age gating, and pushes for per-state distribution controls. New 2025–2026 child-safety laws increase the need for robust authentication that balances safety, privacy, and innovation.
"In 2016, I presented at @Roblox Indie Game Developer Meetup about design strategy as an indie developer. Back then, I had no idea children as young as 5 were interacting with random adults on their platform. Today, the same company (NYSE: $RBLX) is filled with poorly moderated "games" like Bathroom Simulator and worse - all while letting adults animate their avatars for sexual role play."
"In contrast, on my own marketplace app - Sprocket (a peer-to-peer bicycle platform) - I've spent years doing the opposite: * Proactively blocking under-18 users ( its explicit in the TOS/PP ) * Working directly with Apple & to improve their developer systems * Advocating for real age-verification tools like Apple Wallet ID & AI-driven age-detecting/gating like what just shipped * Pushing for per-US-state distribution controls so developers can comply with new child-protection laws without being crushed by disabling all of the US market 💵"
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