Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill has filed a lawsuit against Roblox Corporation, claiming the massively popular gaming platform fails to adequately protect children from exploitation and harmful content. The legal action, which could have a big impact on online gaming platforms, alleges that Roblox puts growth and profit ahead of keeping its youngest users safe.
The lawsuit centers on accusations that Roblox’s moderation systems don’t do enough to stop predators, even though the platform is heavily marketed to and used by children. Louisiana authorities say the company has let harmful content and predators get through, allowing them to contact and possibly take advantage of minors on the service.
Roblox, which boasts over 100 million daily active users globally, is especially popular among children aged six to sixteen. The platform allows users to create and play games made by other users, making money through an in-game currency called “Robux” that can be purchased with real money.
This legal action follows years of media investigations and reports about possible dangers on the platform. Big-name outlets including Bloomberg and NBC News have documented ongoing worries about child safety on Roblox and said the company hasn’t done enough to respond to complaints about inappropriate content and behavior.
Louisiana’s lawsuit comes at a time when lawmakers are looking more closely at online platforms kids use. Several U.S. states have recently started or passed new rules requiring government ID checks for age verification on websites, saying it’s needed to keep kids safe online.
Roblox has responded, saying it offers strong parental controls and moderation tools, but critics argue these features aren’t enough in the real world. The platform’s chat filters, content review systems, and reporting tools have all been called out for not working well enough in a place where millions of interactions happen every day.
If the lawsuit goes in Louisiana’s favor, Roblox might have to roll out tougher rules and better safety tools. It could also set new standards that other gaming platforms would have to follow when it comes to protecting kids and cracking down on bad content.
Money matters come up in the lawsuit, too, since some Roblox games are criticized for pushing microtransactions hard on young players. These practices have raised concerns that kids could end up spending more than they should or be pressured by peers to buy things.
This isn’t the first time Roblox has come under fire for its handling of user safety. Previous investigations have accused the company of ignoring reports of abusive users and threatening to sue whistleblowers or journalists who published negative findings about the platform.
