Content warning for mention of child abuse.
Los Angeles County has just sued Roblox, citing “unfair and deceptive business practices that endanger and exploit children.” An announcement on the county’s site outlines the core arguments against the platform, alleging it is an “unsafe online environment that has become a breeding ground for predators.”
Via the County:
“This lawsuit highlights the alarming reality of what happens when Big Tech puts profits over our children’s safety,” said Rafael Carbajal, Director of the County’s Department of Consumer and Business Affairs (DCBA). “Roblox has long been aware that predators use its product to target and exploit children, yet it has failed to take the actions necessary to prevent this horrific practice. Children are paying the price.”
The suit seeks “injunctive relief, abatement, and civil penalties of up to $2,500 per day for each violation of law.” It was filed in Los Angeles Superior Court, and the complaint is available here.
The complaint itself blames Roblox’s design choices and policies:
“This action is based on Roblox’s own conduct: its design choices, safety failures, and false and misleading representations. Roblox has built an ecosystem that all but hands predators a roadmap to accessing young users: the platform’s architecture lets adults target minors with ease, masquerade as fellow children, strike up conversations, and maneuver themselves into a position of influence over those children, grooming them through repeated interactions.”
The Guardian (thank you, Endgadget) reports that Roblox rejected the allegations, with a spokesperson telling AFP “We have advanced safeguards that monitor our platform for harmful content and communications, and users cannot send or receive images via chat, avoiding one of the most prevalent opportunities for misuse seen elsewhere online.”
Roblox has been under scrutiny for its safety practices for some time
This is not the first lawsuit brought by a governmental body against the platform. Last year, the State of Louisiana filed a lawsuit accusing Roblox of failing to implement “basic safety controls to protect child users” and not properly informing users of potential dangers.
The scrutiny goes well beyond US borders. Earlier this month, the Australian communications minister wrote a letter to the company noting she was “alarmed by reports of children being exposed to graphic and gratuitous user-generated content on the platform, including sexually explicit and suicidal material.”
A 2024 study by research firm Hindenburg Research found “the company has cut moderation costs in an attempt to appease Wall Street, while endangering kids with a platform that exposes them to illicit content and facilitates pedophilia at scale.”
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