No age validation required at sign-up and 40% of users are 12 or younger, state alleges
of ConsumerAffairsAugust 15, 2025
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Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill sues Roblox, alleging the platform facilitates child exploitation and lacks basic safety controls.
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The state accuses Roblox of prioritizing growth and profit over child protection.
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Lawsuit seeks injunction, restitution, penalties, and barred claims about safety features.
Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill filed a lawsuit in the 21st Judicial District Court today, accusing Roblox one of the most popular online gaming platforms among children and teens of knowingly facilitating child sexual exploitation and distributing illicit content.
Murrill charges that Roblox has failed to implement age verification measures, neglected parental notice requirements, and allowed predators to prey on children via the platforms unfiltered chat and suspicious user-generated content.
Due to Robloxs lack of safety protocols, it endangers the safety of the children of Louisiana, she said. Roblox is overrun with harmful content and child predators because it prioritizes user growth, revenue, and profits over child safety. She called on parents to be aware of the clear and present danger posed by the platform.
The state’s complaint highlights that children and predators alike can misrepresent their age, and names problematic user-created experiences like Escape to Epstein Island, Diddy Party, and Public Bathroom Simulator Vibe, which featured sexually explicit or predatory content. It also references a recent case in Livingston Parish where a suspect allegedly used voice-altering software to impersonate a young girl to lure minors through Roblox.
Legal relief sought by Louisiana includes:
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A permanent injunction barring Roblox from making misleading safety claims and engaging in unfair trade practices under state law.
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Restitution to the state, attorney fees, civil penalties, and all other allowable damages.
Although Roblox Corp. (NYSE: RBLX) shares have surged over 115% year-to-date, the lawsuit underscores significant tension between rapid platform growth and user safety.
What Parents Should Know
| Risk | Insight |
|---|---|
| High child usage, low verification | ~40% of users are 12 or younger. No age validation or parental consent is required at signup. |
| Predator tactics | Law enforcement reports predators posing as children including using voice changers to target minors. |
| Harmful content | Some user-generated games feature explicit or exploitative themes. |
| Chat availability | Real-time chat enables dangerous conversations; settings are not active by default. |
| Parental tools existbut are optional | Roblox offers controls like chat restrictions and activity monitoring, but parents must enable them. |
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Safety checklist for parents: Enable parental controls Monitor your childs activity and chat logs Discuss online safety and stranger interaction Encourage use of reporting tools Keep devices in shared spaces |
What Roblox Has Said (So Far)
While the company has not issued a statement directly addressing Louisianas lawsuit, media report the following public responses:
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Roblox emphasizes its zerotolerance policy for the exploitation of minors.
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It has recently begun piloting facial age estimation and videoselfie verification for users aged 1317 in private, unfiltered chats.
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The company states it deployed an AI moderation system to detect suspicious behavior, submitting around 1,200 potential exploitation cases to authorities in the first half of 2025.
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A spokesperson added that Roblox dedicates substantial resources, including advanced technology and 24/7 human moderation, to help detect and prevent inappropriate content and behavior.
Despite these efforts, Louisiana contends they fall short and fail to address systemic vulnerabilities.
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