Latest news with #FreeSchlep
Yahoo
3 hours ago
- Yahoo
Roblox CEO called on to resign after sending cease and desist letter to online ‘predator hunter'
Roblox's chief executive is facing a wave of fury after his company sent a cease and desist letter to a YouTuber known for exposing alleged child predators on the online gaming platform. The Roblox Corporation reportedly issued a legal complaint last week to a 22-year-old content creator known as 'Schlep,' who revealed this in a YouTube video. The chief executive of the platform is founder David Baszucki. Sharing the full cease and desist letter on X, the company's lawyers cited violations such as simulated child endangerment and sharing personal information. They argued that such actions bypassed official moderation channels. Schlep, a self-styled 'predator hunter' who has over 767,000 YouTube subscribers, had all associated Roblox accounts terminated in the high-profile conflict with the company. In return, Schlep, who claims his investigations led to six arrests of individuals attempting to groom minors on Roblox, accused the company of repeatedly ignoring evidence presented by him and other vigilante streamers. In his video, Schlep alleges that his motivations stem from personal experience having been groomed as a child on the platform, which he said led to a suicide attempt. The Independent has approached Schlep for comment and to seek verification of his claims. Schlep also claimed that Baszucki blocked him on X. Democratic Congressman Ro Khanna has launched an online petition against Roblox, accusing the platform of insufficient child safety measures. He hopes to garner one million signatures by Friday. 'Roblox is simply not doing enough to protect our kids, to inform parents, and to go after child predators,' Khanna said in a TikTok video. After Roblox's legal threat, Schlep reached out to Republican Senator Ted Cruz on X and then by email on Monday, advocating for political attention to the company's safety policies. Schlep argued that the platform's alleged negligence toward protecting young players had already been the subject of lawsuits in Texas. It was not immediately clear whether Cruz's office responded. The incident has sparked widespread backlash, reigniting debate over platform moderation versus vigilante actions, with critics accusing Roblox of hypocrisy and placing legal threats above child safety. Campaigns such as '#FreeSchlep' and '#BoycottRoblox' have gained traction, supported by major creators like MoistCr1TiKal and JiDeon. A petition calling for Baszucki to 'fix what he's caused or resign' had more than 48,000 signatures by Thursday morning. Another video citing the petitions for the Roblox CEO's resignation surpassed 1.2 million views on YouTube. After the wave of backlash, Roblox Corporation released a statement on Wednesday explaining why it removed vigilante groups from the platform, without explicitly naming Schlep. 'While seemingly well-intentioned, the vigilantes we've banned have taken actions that are both unacceptable and create an unsafe environment for users,' it said. 'Similar to actual predators, they often impersonated minors, actively approached other users, then tried to lead them to other platforms to have sexually explicit conversations.' Roblox said that while most chats between its more than 111 million daily active users are 'safe and civil,' there are 'bad actors' that attempt to evade its moderation system. The company emphasized that reporting through official channels is safer and more effective than vigilante actions. The Independent has contacted the Roblox Corporation for more information. Solve the daily Crossword
Time of India
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Roblox sends legal notice to YouTuber who helped in arrest of child predators; company claims these vigilantes, ‘...create an unsafe environment for users'
Representative Image Roblox has sent a cease and desist letter to a YouTuber who exposes alleged child predators on the gaming platform, a report claims. The company's legal complaint, which was revealed by the content creator known as "Schlep," has reportedly sparked outrage among users. In a letter shared on the social media platform X (formerly Twitter), Schlep showed Roblox lawyers claiming that the YouTuber violated the company's rules by engaging in "simulated child endangerment" and sharing personal information, arguing that these actions bypassed the platform's official moderation channels. Schlep, a self-described 'predator hunter' with more than 767,000 YouTube subscribers, had all of his related Roblox accounts permanently banned amid his dispute with the company. What Roblox said about removing vigilante groups from the game In a recently released statement, without explicitly naming Schlep, Roblox explained why it removed vigilante groups from the platform. 'While seemingly well-intentioned, the vigilantes we've banned have taken actions that are both unacceptable and create an unsafe environment for users. Similar to actual predators, they often impersonated minors, actively approached other users, then tried to lead them to other platforms to have sexually explicit conversations,' the company noted. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Dementia Has Been Linked To a Common Habit. Do You Do It? Memory Health Click Here Undo Roblox also stated that while most conversations among its more than 111 million daily active users are 'safe and civil,' there are 'bad actors' who try to bypass its moderation system. The company stressed that using official reporting channels is safer and more effective than taking vigilante action. The statement came after backlash reignited debate over platform moderation versus vigilante actions, with critics accusing Roblox of prioritising legal threats over child safety. Campaigns like '#FreeSchlep' and '#BoycottRoblox' have gained momentum, backed by major creators such as MoistCr1TiKal and JiDeon. A petition urging Baszucki to 'fix what he's caused or resign' recently had over 48,000 signatures, while a related YouTube video surpassed 1.2 million views. Responding to his removal from the game, Schlep, who says his investigations resulted in six arrests of people accused of trying to groom minors on Roblox, accused the company of repeatedly disregarding evidence he and other vigilante streamers provided. In his video, Schlep also claimed that his motivation comes from personal experience, saying he was groomed as a child on the platform — an ordeal he says led to a suicide attempt. He added that David Baszucki , Roblox's co-founder and CEO, has also blocked him on X. Goodbye, Frequent FASTag Recharges! NHAI Launches Annual Pass for Rs 3,000 AI Masterclass for Students. Upskill Young Ones Today!– Join Now
