Backlash after Roblox bans whistleblower

Roblox is facing one of its biggest scandals yet after banning YouTuber Schlep, a 22-year-old creator who made his name by catching alleged predators on the platform.

The move has triggered massive backlash, including a petition demanding the resignation of CEO David Baszucki that has already received 215 000 signatures.

With more than 1.6 million subscribers, Schlep built his channel around “predator hunting” in Roblox’s kid-friendly worlds. 

He says his investigations have led to at least six arrests in the past year.

Schlep shared that as a child, he was groomed on Roblox by a well-known developer. 

When his mother reported it, Roblox allegedly dismissed her concerns, and the abuser stayed active for years. 

That experience pushed him to dedicate his channel to protecting kids on the platform he grew up on.

On 11 August, Roblox shut down Schlep’s accounts and sent him a cease-and-desist letter. 

The company accused him of “harmful activities,” moving chats off-platform, and interfering with official safety systems.

Roblox insists only trained professionals and law enforcement should handle predator cases, not independent creators.

Schlep calls the accusations unfair. He says predators often shift to Discord, where he follows the evidence before handing it to the police. 

Instead of acting on those reports, Roblox, he says, targeted him: “They refuse to act in a lot of instances,” he said, describing the ban as heartbreaking.

The resignation petition is gaining momentum, and Chris Hansen, who is famous for the “To Catch a Predator” show, has reportedly contacted Schlep for a potential documentary.

Under pressure, Roblox is rolling out new safety updates, including an “Adults-Only” section where restricted content is locked to players 18 and older.