RobloxRoblox has commented on the prevalence of community-led vigilante groups following the company’s legal action against predator-catching creator, Schlep.
In an August 16 video, Roblox Chief Safety Officer Matt Kaufman acknowledged that vigilante groups often begin with good intentions but become problematic for several reasons.
Kaufman highlighted that some members initially reported issues with bad actors on the platform and contributed to conversations on how Roblox could improve safety. However, they said this cooperation becomes an issue when certain groups begin violating Roblox’s policies.
Kaufman said that the decision from some vigilantes to created fake child accounts and ask others their ages while attempting to identify predatory behavior was one such core issue, as some of these individuals would forego informing Roblox of their findings.
While recognizing the goal was to protect younger users, Kaufman warned that the tactics themselves were unsafe and put the community at greater risk. The company stressed that while input from concerned players is valued, actions that mimic predatory behavior cross the line into policy violations.
Where does Roblox draw the line?
Kaufman noted that the platform encourages feedback and dialogue with users about safety, but emphasized that action against rule-breaking vigilantes is necessary to protect the community.
“While I think some of these [vigilante] groups started off in a really good place and they still do really care about the community, the actions they were taking were putting our community at greater risk and were violations of our policy,” he said.
The comments come days after Roblox defended their decision to pursue legal action against Schlep, who claimed this his work has led to six arrests.
On August 15, RTC reported that To Catch a Predator host Chris Handsen had reportedly reached out to Schlep to create a documentary “investigating Roblox’s handling of child safety issues.”
