Roblox, the company behind the immensely popular online gaming platform, has expressed dissent against a recent US lawsuit that raises troubling allegations about how it protects its youngest users. The suit against Roblox was filed last week in Louisiana, adding to the growing scrutiny over whether the platform is doing enough to keep children safe from predators.
Though it’s branded as a family-friendly space, Roblox has faced lots of criticism in recent years for not adequately addressing predatory behavior and child exploitation on the platform. Prior reports have accused it of harboring a “predator problem” while downplaying player safety concerns, and Qatar even banned Roblox countrywide last week over the same. Just a few days ago, the state of Lousiana proceeded forth with legal action against Roblox, arguing that it hasn’t upheld its responsibility to protect minors, even as it maintains tens of millions of daily users worldwide.
Filed on August 14 by Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill, the Roblox Louisiana lawsuit alleges that the platform failed to implement basic safety measures for children – both in Louisiana and across the US – while publicly reassuring parents that it was a secure environment for kids. Roblox has now officially responded to the lawsuit, insisting the platform has made significant strides in safety. The company highlighted more than 40 new tools added to Roblox over the past year – all designed to protect children, including stricter parental controls, filtered chat systems, prohibitions on direct image sharing, and limits on direct messaging for users under 13.
The statement also pointed to Roblox Sentinel, a newly-launched AI-powered system meant to detect grooming attempts in in-game chats. Roblox Corp added that it collaborates with law enforcement, child advocacy organizations, and mental health groups to improve safeguards, but admitted that “no system is perfect” and predators constantly adapt. It was further stressed that the majority of Roblox users – 64 percent, to be precise – are now over 13, and claimed that the platform’s safety measures are stricter than those on most social networks.
Though concerns surrounding child safety and countrywide bans on Roblox haven’t made much of an impact on it so far, this lawsuit could bring about meaningful change in how regulators and the public view responsibility in online platforms for children. Roblox‘s stock even took a big hit due to this lawsuit and the Qatar ban, so it might just be time that the platform’s child safety measures are properly put under the microscope.
September 1, 2006
T for Teen
Roblox Corporation
Roblox Corporation
