Los Angeles County Takes Legal Action Against Roblox for Better Child Safety

Los Angeles County Sues Roblox Over Child Safety Concerns

Los Angeles County has filed a lawsuit against Roblox, alleging the gaming platform’s business practices are unfair and deceptive, exposing children to sexual content and online predators. The civil complaint, submitted on Thursday in Los Angeles Superior Court, asserts that Roblox has failed to establish adequate moderation and age-verification measures, despite marketing itself as a safe environment for young users.

“This lawsuit is about protecting children from online predators and inappropriate content,” said Hilda Solis, Chair of the LA County Board of Supervisors. “Roblox has a responsibility to keep kids safe, but instead, it has allowed its platform to become a place where children can be exposed to grooming and exploitation.”

Roblox, which boasts over 151 million daily active users, is marketed as a venue for “age-appropriate experiences,” with a minimum age of 5 required to create an account. In December, the company introduced a facial age verification check intended to regulate age-based chat functions and limit interactions between minors and adults. This requirement was scheduled to commence in select markets in December and was set to expand globally in early January.

The county’s lawsuit cites violations of California’s Unfair Competition Law and False Advertising Law, seeking injunctive relief and civil penalties of up to $2,500 per violation per day. Officials noted that this lawsuit marks the first legal action taken by a California governmental agency against Roblox for allegations concerning child endangerment and exploitation.

Additionally, a Southern California family previously filed a separate lawsuit against Roblox in December, claiming that their 12-year-old child met a sexual predator on the platform.

Roblox has not yet provided a comment on the matter.