Roblox is facing growing pressure, including a recent lawsuit from the state of Louisiana, regarding allegations of insufficient child safety and the spread of “erroneous claims.” The platform is criticized for its failure to protect its young audience, which constitutes a significant portion of its users.
Roblox, a popular game creation platform with tens of millions of daily active users, nearly 40% of whom are under 13, has come under intense scrutiny. Numerous reports, including a major Bloomberg investigation, point to serious gaps in child protection measures.
Following California Congressman Ro Khanna`s statement about the inadequacy of Roblox`s efforts to protect children, inform parents, and combat predators, the state of Louisiana filed a lawsuit against the company on August 15. The lawsuit, brought in Louisiana`s 21st Judicial District, alleges that Roblox:
- Facilitates the distribution of child sexual abuse material and the sexual exploitation of Louisiana`s children.
- Knowingly and intentionally fails to implement basic safety controls to protect child users from predators.
- Knowingly and intentionally fails to provide notice to parents and child users of its dangers.
Despite the introduction of “parent accounts” last October, which allow parents to manage their children`s accounts, petitions, political statements, and the Louisiana lawsuit all indicate that these measures are insufficient.
According to an August 18 Wired report, a group of law firms across the United States plans to file “a flood of lawsuits” in the near future. These lawsuits will involve accusations that the platform facilitated the sexual exploitation and grooming of children. Lawyer Matt Dolman from Dolman Law Group stated his firm has about 300 such cases and expects over 1,000 lawsuits by next year. Most of his Roblox clients are under 16, and more than half are young girls.
Several lawsuits have already been filed against Roblox, including one in Alabama this past July concerning a 14-year-old girl who allegedly met a predator on Roblox, communicated with him on Discord, and was subsequently abducted and assaulted. Both Roblox and Discord are named as defendants in this suit.
Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill stated that “due to Roblox`s lack of safety protocols, it endangers the safety of the children of Louisiana. Roblox is overrun with harmful content and child predators because it prioritizes user growth, revenue, and profits over child safety.” She emphasized that “every parent should be aware of the clear and present danger posed to their children by Roblox.”
On the same day, Roblox issued a lengthy statement on its website, beginning with a caveat that the company typically does not comment on pending litigation but wished to “address erroneous claims and misconceptions about our platform, our commitment to safety, and our overall safety track record.”
In its statement, Roblox cited its continually improving safety tools, “industry-leading stance on age-based communication,” “suite of easy-to-use parental controls,” and past collaborations with law enforcement as examples of its dedication to child safety.
The statement concludes: “We aim to create one of the safest online environments for users—a goal not only core to our founding values but, contrary to certain assertions, one we believe is critical to our long-term vision and success. We understand there is always more work to be done, and we are committed to making Roblox a safe and positive environment for all users.”
Dolman also informed Wired about the existence of a “working group” of lawyers from several law firms who have already spoken with clients accusing Roblox of failing to protect their children.