L.A. County files lawsuit against Roblox over child safety concerns

In a comprehensive lawsuit filed today against Roblox by Los Angeles County, the widely popular online gaming platform is accused of fostering an environment where predators can exploit and manipulate minors with “sexual content,” grooming, violence, “child sexual exploitation material,” and “simulated sexual conduct.”

“Roblox presents its platform as a secure and suitable space for children to enjoy play,” states the complaint from the L.A. County Counsel’s office over public nuisance and breaches of California's False Advertising Law.

“In reality, and as Roblox is well aware, the setup of its platform makes children easily accessible targets for predators.”

Roblox reportedly has an enormous base of 151 million active daily users and nearly 400 million active monthly users, with about 40% of them being under the age of 13.

A highly coveted market by businesses in America, the chat-centric Roblox has formed lucrative collaborations and partnerships with entities like Warner Bros., Netflix, YouTube, TikTok, Lionsgate, Sega, Universal, and the manga and anime platform Kodansha over the years. 

Former Warner Media CEO Jason Kilar and former CEO of Lifetime Entertainment as well as Sony and ABC executive Amanda Wong are part of Roblox’s six-member board of directors.

Completely dismissive of the security measures that Roblox, founded in 2004, has long claimed to have to protect children, today’s move from L.A. County Counsel Dawyn R. Harrison is intended and scoped similarly to lawsuits and investigations from states including Georgia, Texas, Florida, Kentucky, and Louisiana against the Nevada-headquartered company.

Seeking marketing injunctions and potential millions in penalties daily, with $2,500 for every violation, the 82-page document also criticises the corporate powers behind Roblox’s array of games, virtual environments, and immersive experiences for carrying out a “deceptive campaign” and allegedly fake safeguards to conceal what truly transpires on the highly popular platform.

The document claims “Roblox has, in the course of trade and commerce, engaged in deceitful, misleading, and fraudulent acts and practices in its representations and advertisements regarding Roblox’s structure, safety measures, and safety monitoring.