Roblox shares plummet 18% as child safety measures weigh on bookings

roblox shares dropped 18% on friday after the company's new child safety measures weighed on bookings more than expected. ceo david baszucki said on cnbc that age check is "the real, right long-term way to build this platform." the company restricted chat to age-verified users in january. as of january 31, 73% of age-checked daily active users were under 18, and 35% under 13. roblox slashed its full-year 2026 bookings forecast by nearly $1 billion — now expecting $7.33 billion to $7.6 billion, down from $8.28 billion to $8.55 billion last quarter. first-quarter results beat estimates: a loss of 35 cents per share vs. 41 cents expected, and $1.73 billion in revenue vs. $1.72 billion. roblox faces over 140 federal lawsuits accusing it of failing to protect children from sexual exploitation. last month it settled with alabama and west virginia for a combined $23.2 million. the company also introduced new account types for younger users and expanded parental controls.