Kentucky Attorney General Russell Coleman has initiated legal proceedings against the gaming giant Roblox, accusing the company of failing to shield minors from sexual predators and inappropriate content.
The lawsuit, filed on Monday, claims that Roblox has become a "playground for pedophiles" due to its lack of effective age verification, moderation, and parental controls. With over 111 million active monthly users, Roblox is a popular platform among American children aged 9 to 12.
As reported by The Post Millennial, the lawsuit contends that predators often create deceptive accounts to pose as children, thereby gaining access to minors for grooming purposes. Prosecutors assert, "Roblox is designed to allow predators easy access to children," and argue that the company's negligence has led to "harassment, kidnapping, trafficking, violence, and sexual assault."
The complaint also draws attention to user-generated content, such as simulations depicting the assassination of Charlie Kirk, founder of Turning Point USA, following his death at Utah Valley University. These games reportedly allowed children "as young as five" to witness animated portrayals of the tragic event.
During a press conference, Coleman urged Roblox to enhance its parental controls, content filters, and verification processes. He was joined by Courtney Norris, a Kentucky mother of three, who expressed her initial belief in Roblox as a safe environment for her children. "I came to realize, later than I would like to admit, that it actually is the 'Wild West' of the internet, targeted at children," she stated, as quoted by the New York Post.
This legal action in Kentucky mirrors similar lawsuits in Louisiana, Iowa, and North Carolina, where parents have alleged that their children were exploited through the platform. One particularly harrowing case involved a 13-year-old girl who was trafficked across multiple states and raped after encountering a predator on Roblox.
In response, Roblox has defended its safety protocols, stating that it employs "rigorous safety measures" such as artificial intelligence monitoring, 24/7 moderation, and age-estimation technology. The company acknowledged, "No system is perfect, and our work on safety is never done."
Nonetheless, the allegations raise significant concerns about the platform's ability to protect its young users, highlighting the need for robust safeguards in digital spaces frequented by children.
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