Roblox Sued by State of Louisiana, Which Alleges Platform Facilitates Sexual Exploitation of Kids

Online gaming platform Roblox has faced criticism for years that it doesn’t do enough to protect children using its platform. Now, Louisiana’s attorney general is suing the company, alleging among other things that it has and continues to “facilitate the distribution of child sexual abuse material and the sexual exploitation of Louisiana’s children.”

Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill filed the lawsuit Thursday in state court. The suit alleges that Roblox “knowingly and intentionally fails to implement basic safety controls to protect child users from predators” and fails to provide notice to parents and child users of its dangers.

“Due to Roblox’s lack of safety protocols, it endangers the safety of the children of Louisiana,” Murrill said in a statement. “Roblox is overrun with harmful content and child predators because it prioritizes user growth, revenue, and profits over child safety. Every parent should be aware of the clear and present danger poised to their children by Roblox so they can prevent the unthinkable from ever happening in their own home.”

Reps for Roblox did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

A copy of the state of Louisiana’s lawsuit is available at this link.

The Louisiana attorney general’s lawsit alleges that games that have existed on the Roblox platform have included “Escape to Epstein Island,” “Diddy Party” and “Public Bathroom Simulator Vibe.” These games and others “are often filled with sexually explicit material and simulated sexual activity such as child gang rape,” according to the AG’s office.

Roblox has about 82 million daily active users and more than 6.4 million experiences within the system The lawsuit, citing company statistics, says that 20% of Roblox users are under 9 years old; 20% are 9-12; 16% are 13-16; and 44% are 17 or older.

According to the Louisiana AG’s office, because there is no age minimum and requirement to verify age or parental permission once you sign up for Roblox, “users can easily say they are younger or older than their actual age – allowing child predators to pose as children and for children to bypass any age requirement.”

The state of Louisiana’s lawsuit seeks a permanent injunction prohibiting Roblox from “engaging in any activity in violation of Louisiana Unfair Trade Practices Act” or “representing that Roblox has adequate safety features.” The suit also seeks unspecific “restitution to the State of Louisiana” plus attorney’s fees and all civil penalties and damages “allowable under law.”