According to media reports, on November 9, 2023, parents of children filed a civil lawsuit against Roblox, alleging that the platform lacks adequate child safety safeguards, resulting in financial losses. The lawsuit was filed in the San Diego Superior Court and alleges that Roblox violated California’s Unfair Competition Law, False Advertising Law, Consumer Legal Remedies Act, and state consumer protection laws. The plaintiffs claim that due to Roblox’s relatively lax policies, children spent thousands of dollars on the platform. Additionally, minors were allegedly exposed to adult content and faced risks of online grooming.
As described in detail in the complaint, child users on the Roblox platform encountered content involving avatars depicting nudity, sexual intercourse, and sex toys, as well as virtual strip clubs.
One plaintiff stated that she created an account in 2021 for her seven-year-old son. Roblox allegedly misrepresented the platform as a safe environment for children, leading her to spend more than $4,000 on the platform. However, the reality was the opposite. The plaintiff discovered that multiple users had sent abusive and obscene messages to her child through Roblox. One user allegedly asked her child to perform a virtual sexual act on the user’s in-game avatar. Other plaintiffs reported that while monitoring their children’s accounts, they found that multiple users had sent direct links to external pornographic websites. Additional users stated that their children’s “friends” on Roblox attempted to groom them and sent sexually explicit content.
The lawsuit further alleges that Roblox obscured the true cost of in-app purchases, making it difficult for guardians to exercise control, and that its misrepresentations regarding product safety rendered purchases worthless or worth less than the price paid.
On November 10, 2023, Roblox responded, stating that it would address the allegations in court.
“Roblox is committed to providing a positive and safe experience for people of all ages. We have a team of thousands of experts dedicated to moderation and safety on Roblox 24/7. When we identify inappropriate content or behavior—including sexual content that violates our community standards—we act quickly to remove it.”
“We offer numerous features specifically designed to protect children, including filtering text chat on the platform to block inappropriate content or personal information, as well as parental controls and settings to restrict or disable chat. We invest in tools that allow parents to understand their children’s activities, including preventing unauthorized purchases.
We also collaborate with more than 20 global organizations focused on child safety, online safety, or both, and are members of industry groups dedicated to developing best practices to ensure the safety of users, particularly children.”