Roblox CEO Dave Baszucki appeared on The New York Times Hard Fork podcast to discuss the platform’s new age verification system, a feature that requires users to submit a face scan before accessing messaging tools. The conversation quickly shifted toward concerns about child safety, which led to some visible frustration from Baszucki.
As hosts pressed him about a report suggesting Roblox favored growth over safety, Baszucki replied, “Fun. Let’s keep going down this.” Moments later, when co-host Kevin Roose noted that stronger AI models could help improve safety, Baszucki answered, “Good, so you’re aligning with what we did. High-five.”
He reminded listeners that he joined the show expecting a wider discussion. “And I want to highlight, 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.”