The massively popular online gaming platform Roblox is under fire as Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton launches a blistering lawsuit.
He has accused the company of enabling child predators and misleading parents about the platform’s safety, per BBC News.
Roblox accused of harboring predators and deceiving families
In a lawsuit filed on Friday, Paxton’s office alleged that Roblox has become “a digital playground for predators,” rife with sexually explicit content and online grooming.
The Texas Attorney General slammed the platform for engaging in “deceptive trade practices” by marketing itself as family-friendly, all while exposing children to significant dangers.
“We cannot allow platforms like Roblox to continue operating as digital playgrounds for predators,” Paxton said in a statement.
“Roblox must do more to protect kids from sick and twisted freaks hiding behind a screen. Any corporation that enables child abuse will face the full and unrelenting force of the law.”
Taking his criticism further on social media, Paxton declared Roblox a “breeding ground for predators” and accused the platform of prioritizing “pixel paedophiles and corporate profit” over the safety of Texas children.
From game-based learning to graphic content
Roblox has been praised for its educational content - offering games that teach coding, physics, and problem-solving - but it also provides open access to developer tools.
These tools, the lawsuit argues, have led to “violent and sexual content” flooding parts of the platform.
The lawsuit paints a picture of a “sprawling and unregulated digital playground that is overrun by predators and saturated with sexual content.”
It goes on to say that Roblox’s in-game currency, Robux, acts as bait for online predators.
“Rather than being lured by candy, modern-day predators have lured children with Robux,” the suit stated.
The filing cited “dozens of FBI investigations, criminal convictions, and private lawsuits,” including one particularly harrowing case in Texas, where a child who began using Roblox at the age of 10 was “raped after being groomed through Roblox.”
AG Paxton pushes for fines, penalties, and a jury trial
The lawsuit asks the court to impose a $10,000 fine for each violation of Texas’ Deceptive Trade Practices Act and demands an injunction to halt further “wrongdoing.”
Paxton also called for a jury trial, escalating the legal battle in what he describes as an urgent fight to protect children.
This latest legal challenge comes after similar lawsuits were filed in Kentucky and Louisiana.
Roblox, headquartered in San Mateo, California, is now grappling with a wave of public scrutiny and legal threats.
Roblox hits back: “Sensationalized claims”
Roblox has pushed back strongly against the lawsuit.
A company spokesperson told The New York Post the firm shares Paxton’s “commitment to keeping kids and teens safe online, which is why we have implemented industry-leading protocols in an effort to protect users and remove bad actors.”
“We are disappointed that, rather than working collaboratively with Roblox on this industry-wide challenge and seeking real solutions, the AG has chosen to file a lawsuit based on misrepresentations and sensationalized claims,” the spokesperson said.
Roblox emphasized that it had introduced “over 145 safety measures” in the past year alone.
The company is also rolling out new age estimation technology - using video selfies and other tools - to prevent adults from interacting with minors.
In 2024, the company disclosed that 40% of its daily users were younger than 13. As of October, the platform boasted a staggering 151.5 million average daily active users, with 83% residing outside of the US and Canada.
Roblox CEO Dave Baszucki previously addressed concerns about the platform’s safety.
Speaking to the BBC, he suggested parents trust their gut: “That sounds a little counter-intuitive, but I would always trust parents to make their own decisions,” Mr. Baszucki said.