Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton is suing Roblox for allegedly “cheating parents” and “flagrantly ignoring” safety regulations. This follows similar actions Paxton took against “several Big Tech social media companies” and TikTok.
“I’m suing Roblox for putting pixel pedophiles and profits over the safety of Texas children” – Paxton he wrote in a social media post. “We cannot allow platforms like Roblox to continue to operate as digital playgrounds for predators, where the well-being of our children is sacrificed on the altar of corporate greed.”
In a press release, Paxton expanded on this point, writing that he is suing Roblox Corporation, “a multibillion-dollar company that operates one of the largest online gaming sites for children, for flagrantly ignoring state and federal internet safety laws while simultaneously deceiving parents about the dangers of the platform.”
Roblox is one of the largest video gaming platforms in the world and has seen huge user numbers as a result of viral experiences such as Grow a Garden and Steal a Brainrot. Paxton claimed that while Roblox markets itself as a unthreatening space, it has become a “breeding ground for predators.”
“Children in Texas have been repeatedly exposed to sexually explicit content, exploitation and grooming because Roblox has placed pixel pedophiles and corporate profits over the safety of Texas children,” he added.
“Roblox must do more to protect children from the sick and twisted freaks hiding behind the screen. Any corporation that enables child exploitation will face the full and unforgiving force of the law.”
IGN has reached out to Roblox for comment. Roblox said BBC is “disappointed” to be sued based on “false information and sensationalized claims.” The spokesman said it shared Paxton’s commitment to keeping children unthreatening online and that it had put in place measures to remove bad actors and protect users.
“Since implementation, the retention rate for PII conversations in English has increased to 98%, outperforming other leading open source models,” Roblox said, adding that it has also made it more clear for users to report “anything problematic.”
“We know users want more information about what’s happening when they report something on Roblox, so we’ve expanded the list of categories we respond to,” he added. “For all report types, we now inform users when we have taken action in response to their reports. This has resulted in users receiving 250% more feedback on the reports they submit.”
Photo: Thomas Fuller/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images.
Vikki Blake is an IGN reporter, critic, columnist and consultant with over 15 years of experience working with some of the world’s largest gaming sites and publications. She is also a Guardian, a Spartan, a Silent Hillian, a Legend, and an eternally High Chaos. Find her on Blue Sky.
