Roblox Denies Louisiana’s Allegation That Gaming Platform Lacks Safety Protocols

Roblox responded Friday (Aug. 15) to a Louisiana lawsuit alleging that the company fails to protect children on its interactive online gaming platform.

The lawsuit was filed Thursday (Aug. 14) by Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill, who alleged in a press release that Roblox fails to implement basic safety controls to protect the children using the platform from predators.

“Due to Roblox’s lack of safety protocols, it endangers the safety of the children of Louisiana,” Murrill said in the release. “Roblox is overrun with harmful content and child predators because it prioritizes user growth, revenue and profits over child safety.”

In the lawsuit, Louisiana seeks to prohibit Roblox from violating the Louisiana Unfair Trade Practices Act and from representing that Roblox has adequate safety features. It also seeks restitution, attorney’s fees, additional civil penalties and additional damages, according to the release.

In its response posted Friday, Roblox said it has a policy of not commenting on pending litigation but would like to address “erroneous claims and misconceptions.”

The company said it is constantly introducing new safety tools and safeguards, has taken an industry-leading stance on age-based communication, maintains safety policies that are stricter than those found on other user-generated content platforms, and helps detect and prevent inappropriate content and behavior.

It added that it provides parental controls to help parents and caregivers ensure a safe online experience for their children, collaborates with law enforcement and government agencies, and maintains relationships with child safety organizations.

“We aim to create one of the safest online environments for users, a goal not only core to our founding values but contrary to certain assertions, one we believe is critical to our long-term vision and success,” Roblox said in its response. “We understand there is always more work to be done, and we are committed to making Roblox a safe and positive environment for all users.”

Bloomberg reported Friday that in a little over two weeks, seven complaints have been filed against Roblox, including ones in California, Pennsylvania and Texas, alleging issues around child predators on the platform.

Roblox said in a July 31 earnings release that in the second quarter, it had 111.8 million daily active users.