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Louisiana Sues Roblox Over Child Safety Failures

The suit contends that Roblox omits biometric age checks at account creation, exposing minors to exploitation despite recent safety investments.

Roblox claims to improve its moderation systems but faces criticism for inadequacies, including its crackdown on players posing as children to expose predators. REUTERS/Brendan McDermid/File Photo
POLAND - 2023/11/09: In this photo illustration a Roblox logo is displayed on a smartphone with stock market percentages on a laptop. (Photo Illustration by Omar Marques/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)
Roblox found itself in hot water when Schlep, who was working on delivering ‘vigilante justice’ found himself banned due to his actions.
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Overview

  • Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill filed a 39-page complaint on August 15 alleging Roblox facilitated child sexual abuse material and violated state consumer-protection laws by prioritizing growth over safety.
  • The lawsuit asserts the company has access to biometric age-verification technology but intentionally does not require it at sign-up or confirm parental permission for users under 13.
  • Roblox denies intentional wrongdoing, citing over 40 recent safety features including AI-driven monitoring, stricter defaults for under-13s, parental controls and new age-estimation tools.
  • Community backlash intensified after Roblox banned predator-hunting vigilante Schlep, leading To Catch a Predator host Chris Hansen to partner on an independent investigation of the platform.
  • Roblox’s share price fell nearly 9% and parallel civil suits alleging grooming and sextortion in federal and state courts reflect mounting legal, financial and reputational pressure.