Roblox faces heightened scrutiny in US over child safety concerns

Roblox, one of the world’s most popular gaming platforms for children, is under intense scrutiny after the state of Texas filed a lawsuit alleging that the company has repeatedly failed to protect minors from online predators.

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton accused Roblox of “putting pixel pedophiles and profits over the safety of Texas children,” claiming the platform has ignored both state and federal safety laws while misleading families about the risks.

According to the lawsuit, Roblox has engaged in deceptive trade practices by overstating the strength of its safety tools and allowing its virtual spaces to become “a habitual destination for child predators,” where grooming and sexual exploitation reportedly take place.

The complaint cites multiple real-life cases in which predators allegedly met and targeted children through the platform, as well as the notorious online group “764,” which used virtual platforms to blackmail minors into explicit acts.

The lawsuit notes that Roblox only began improving its parental controls after facing a series of legal threats and after a high-profile report by short seller Hindenburg Research last year described the platform as an “X-rated pedophile hellscape” with grooming, pornography, violent content, and abusive interactions.

However, Texas is not alone. Louisiana, Kentucky, and Florida have all launched investigations or lawsuits accusing Roblox of enabling predator activity.