from Hacker News

Roblox executive says children making money on the platform is 'a gift'

by josephwegner on 4/4/24, 8:39 PM with 62 comments

  • by klipklop on 4/4/24, 9:56 PM

    I am surprised that Congress has not really found out about Roblox and dragged the execs into a hearing. If they only knew what went on with that platform. There are so many dark patterns that directly target children.

    Of course it would be all grandstanding and nothing will be fixed, but I am really surprised they are missing out on "owning" one of the more shady tech companies.

  • by JohnFen on 4/4/24, 8:45 PM

    It's a strange sort of gift where the giver profits by it.

    Roblox arguing that it's not exploitative is a reasonable thing (I don't agree, but it's not a ridiculous argument). Arguing that it's a "gift" when they're taking a 75% cut is just offensive.

  • by a2128 on 4/4/24, 10:18 PM

    > "So I can be like, 15 years old, in Indonesia, living in a slum, and then now with just a laptop, I can create something, make money, and then sustain my life"

    Not if you can't get past the 50-step impossible Arkose captchas they show to third-world countries, ones that require you to actually be a robot to get past them with 0 mistakes.

    They're also intentionally blocking Linux support, which is growing fast in the global south due to the growing hardware demands of Windows. They allowed Linux for a while, but now they want people to run their new kernel-level anticheat

  • by e12e on 4/4/24, 10:50 PM

  • by paulddraper on 4/4/24, 10:02 PM

    If Roblox did not give any money to creators, would that make it okay?

    Ideological consistency is difficult.

  • by ALittleLight on 4/4/24, 9:24 PM

    Imagine if Roblox didn't give money to the kids. Would that be better? I don't really see how.

    For children in the developed world their Roblox earnings are likely non-essential. If they don't want to work on Roblox mods, or whatever they do, then they just won't. Forcing your child to work on Roblox would be straightforward abuse same as any other kind of abuse.

    For children in the developing world - perhaps there are some for whom Roblox development is mandatory. But, would that child be better off if we deprived them of Roblox? Wouldn't they just work somewhere else in worse conditions in a career with less of a future?

    I don't see why kids earning money from Roblox is bad. The efforts to criticize it strike me as pattern matching. Child labor = children working in coal mines or as chimney sweeps = bad. Kids making Roblox games for fun is child labor therefore kids making Roblox games is bad. Doesn't strike me as a compelling argument.

  • by musicale on 4/5/24, 3:32 AM

    It is a gift... to Roblox.

  • by micromacrofoot on 4/4/24, 9:50 PM

    "Roblox executives lie to justify profiting off of child labor"

  • by lnxg33k1 on 4/4/24, 9:22 PM

    This reminds me of my time in Netherlands, you would go to a supermarket and there were 10 years old guys fixing shelfs. Paid 2.5 euros per hour. Exploited by corporate since childhood, in order "To understand the value of money". Imagine living your life without dreams, just always as a bolt of the economic system.

    > Third-party developers on Roblox are paid in Robux, the platform’s in-game currency

    > user can buy 1,000 Robux for $12.50 but can cash out 1,000 Robux for just $3.50

    > 15 years old, in Indonesia, living in a slum, and then now with just a laptop, I can create something, make money

    > we wanted to be a resource for legislators as they start thinking about laws

    Probably there are already laws, but by my side there is even something of greater value than those laws, and it tells me that you're a piece of shit