Roblox CEO Dave Baszuki Discusses New Age Verification Feature on The New York Times’ Hard Fork Podcast
Roblox CEO Dave Baszuki recently joined The New York Times’ Hard Fork podcast to talk about the gaming platform’s latest feature – an age verification process. The feature requires users to submit a face scan in order to access Roblox’s messaging features. However, the conversation took a turn when Baszuki seemed to grow frustrated with the focus on child safety during the interview.
Initially, Baszuki was enthusiastic about discussing the new feature, but as the interview progressed and questions about the company’s safety measures arose, his irritation became apparent. When asked about a report alleging that Roblox had prioritized growth over safety, Baszuki responded dismissively, saying, “Fun. Let’s keep going down this.”
Co-host Kevin Roose suggested that improving Roblox’s AI models could enhance child safety on the platform, to which Baszuki seemed to bristle. He insisted that the company was already addressing these concerns, stating, “Good, so you’re aligning with what we did. High-five.”
Despite the tense moments, Baszuki expressed his appreciation for the podcast and reiterated his willingness to discuss any topic, including age-gating. “I came here because I love your podcast and came to talk about everything,” he said. “So if our PR people said, ‘Let’s talk about age-gating for an hour,’ I’m up for it, but I love your pod. I thought I came here to talk about everything.”
