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Oklahoma filed a lawsuit against Roblox on Thursday, becoming the latest state to take legal action against the popular gaming platform over child safety concerns.
“Roblox marketed itself as a safe place for children but turned a blind eye as predators targeted and exploited minors on its platform,” Attorney General Gentner Drummond said in a press release on Thursday.
In the 51-page lawsuit filed in Cleveland County District Court, Drummond claims that Roblox failed to implement basic safety controls, prioritizing user growth over child safety, and that the platform “facilitated the systemic sexual exploitation and abuse of children across Oklahoma and elsewhere in the United States.”
The platform’s design, the suit alleges, prevents parents from being aware of their child’s activity, resulting in exposure to “dangerous adults” and to encounters involving violence and sexual content.
In September, according to the lawsuit, an Oklahoma mother sued Roblox after her then-12-year-old daughter was coerced into sending explicit photos and videos to a man in his forties posing as a teenager on the platform.
Over the last year, a swath of lawsuits have sprung up across the country alleging an online environment within Roblox that facilitates child exploitation.
A CBS News investigation last year found at least a dozen instances of hate speech on Roblox targeting minority groups and dozens of swastikas in one game where users were able to bypass safety moderations.
Oklahoma’s suit alleges violations under the state’s Consumer Protection Act, claiming that Roblox made misrepresentations to consumers by not disclosing “the true nature of the risks of harm posed to children.” Oklahoma is seeking civil penalties for each violation of the act and permanent injunctions prohibiting deceptive practices and requiring the implementation of “meaningful and lasting” safeguards.
The platform hosts over 150 million active daily users, according to Roblox, and as many as two-thirds of U.S. children between 9 and 12 years old have accounts, Oklahoma’s lawsuit claims.
Roblox says on its website that the company applies “rigorous build-in protections and tools” and leverages partnerships with child safety experts. It announced last month that it will launch expanded parental controls for users under 16 in June.
In a statement to CBS News, Roblox Chief Safety Officer Matt Kaufman said the company has built a multilayered safety system for user protection that deploys AI-powered detection, human moderation and filters designed to prevent the exchange of personal information.
“We share Attorney General Drummond’s commitment to child online safety,” Kaufman said. “With that said, we are disappointed that he has filed a lawsuit that both fundamentally misrepresents how Roblox works and fails to take into account the extensive, industry-leading proactive measures the company is taking to set a new standard in online safety.”
The company said it is the first online gaming platform to require age checks for all users accessing chat features, and noted that it does not allow the exchange of images or videos in chats.
Kaufman said Roblox works closely with law enforcement when it identifies violations and that “while no system can be perfect,” the company is constantly strengthening user protections. “We look forward to working constructively with Attorney General Drummond to help keep kids safe online,” he said.
At least nine states including Oklahoma have sued Roblox and at least three others have reached settlements with the platform.
