Children's safety at risk as Louisiana files lawsuit against Roblox for insufficient child protection measures in the gaming platform
Roblox, the popular online gaming platform with over 111 million monthly users, has come under scrutiny for its safety measures, particularly regarding child protection. The platform has faced previous lawsuits and backlash, with critics claiming it does not do enough to safeguard children.
In Louisiana, Livingston Parish Sheriff Jason Ard has stated that his office has had multiple cases involving Roblox. The latest controversy stems from a lawsuit filed by Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill, who accuses Roblox of creating an environment where sexual predators thrive, failing to implement effective safety measures to protect child users from adult predators, and prioritizing user growth, revenue, and profits over child safety.
One of the concerns raised is the lack of substantial age verification when users sign up. This allows young children, teens, and adults posing as children to join the platform. In one case, a man used voice-altering technology to pose as a girl on the platform.
However, Roblox has taken steps to address these concerns. Recently, they have implemented several safety measures. These include an advanced AI-powered system called Sentinel, designed to detect child endangerment interactions early for faster intervention. Other measures include restrictions on social hangouts and certain experiences, enhanced parental controls, age verification for restricted content, collaboration with law enforcement and advocacy groups, and default messaging restrictions for users under 13.
Roblox also recently launched a feature that requires teenagers aged 13 to 17 to send a video selfie to verify their ages if they want to chat freely with people they know, called "trusted connections." The company is also currently testing an age verification feature.
Despite these efforts, Roblox continues to face legal challenges. A recent lawsuit was filed in Iowa after a 13-year-old girl was allegedly introduced to an adult predator on the platform, then kidnapped, trafficked across multiple states, and raped. The case underscores the ongoing concerns about the safety of children on Roblox and the need for robust and effective safety measures.
Roblox, in its website description, is described as "the ultimate virtual universe that lets you create, share experiences with friends, and be anything you can imagine." It remains to be seen how these legal challenges will impact the platform's future and its commitment to child safety.
