Louisiana Attorney General Sues Roblox Over Child Safety Concerns
Louisiana Attorney General Liz Maril (R) has initiated a lawsuit against the online gaming platform Roblox, contending that it has failed to implement adequate safety measures to shield young users from potential sexual predators.
The lawsuit, lodged in state court, asserts that Roblox’s insufficient safety protocols have fostered an environment where sexual predators can “hunt and exploit children.” Maril emphasizes that Roblox appears to prioritize user growth, revenue, and profits, seemingly at the expense of child safety.
Maril stated, “The absence of robust safety measures on Roblox jeopardizes the safety of children in Louisiana. The platform is riddled with harmful content and child predators while we chase growth and profit.”
Roblox, which boasts over 111 million monthly users, allows individuals to create and share experiences within a virtual space. Although the company claims to maintain a “zero tolerance policy” on the exploitation of minors and disallows chatting for users under 13 without parental permission, critics argue these measures are inadequate.
Maril also highlighted the lack of stringent age verification processes during user sign-ups, making it easy for children, teens, and even adults to create accounts as minors.
According to a recent report, Roblox, now valued at $90 billion, is facing increasing legal scrutiny due to allegations surrounding child predator activity on its platform. The company, which has a significant proportion of its users—nearly 40%—under the age of 13, has encountered at least nine lawsuits this year, all claiming negligence regarding child safety.
One particularly troubling case involves a lawsuit from a mother and her 9-year-old son in Georgia, who allege that an adult predator impersonated a child and harassed the boy for months. Complaints suggest that these predators pressured children into sharing sexually explicit materials, resulting in severe psychological trauma.
The legal argument presents that if Roblox had employed even basic age and identity verification systems with effective parental controls, this boy might not have suffered harm from the predators. Although the platform announced a new age verification tool in July—a video-based system to assess users’ ages—the effectiveness of this measure has been questioned.
The Georgia lawsuit represents merely one of several similar cases that have emerged against Roblox recently. A Florida law firm is exploring over 300 cases related to potential future claimants. Additionally, another recent lawsuit in California alleges that a 14-year-old girl was groomed by an adult predator on the platform.
There are reports that Roblox has dealt with instances of child predators on its platform and has threatened YouTubers who have spoken out about these issues.
In one instance, a YouTuber known for discussing suspected predators on Roblox was reportedly suspended and warned by the platform. The company accused him of breaching terms of service, claiming his actions were undermining efforts to protect users and increasing risk.
