Texas has filed a lawsuit against Roblox, accusing the popular online game of enabling pedophiles to groom children and expose them to sexually explicit content.
According to the New York Post, the suit, filed Friday by Attorney General Ken Paxton, claims Roblox has turned into “a digital playground for predators.”
The lawsuit alleges Roblox engaged in deceptive trade practices by misleading parents into believing the platform was safe for children and has become “a habitual destination for child predators” to target and groom kids.
“We cannot allow platforms like Roblox to continue operating as digital playgrounds for predators,” Paxton said in a statement. “Roblox must do more to protect kids from sick and twisted freaks hiding behind a screen. Any corporation that enables child abuse will face the full and unrelenting force of the law.”
The legal action follows similar lawsuits in Louisiana and Kentucky, along with numerous private suits accusing the San Mateo, California-based company of failing to stop online predators.
The filing describes Roblox as “a sprawling and unregulated digital playground that is overrun by predators and saturated with sexual content.” It also claims the in-game currency, Robux, “provides leverage for predators to hunt and abuse children.”
“Rather than being lured by candy, modern-day predators have lured children with Robux,” the lawsuit states.
The filing cites “dozens of FBI investigations, criminal convictions, and private lawsuits” showing Roblox has allegedly “facilitated real child abuse and pornography,” including a Texas case in which a child who started using the platform at age 10 was “raped after being groomed through Roblox.”
Paxton’s office is seeking a jury trial and requests penalties including a $10,000 fine for every violation of the Texas Deceptive Trade Practices Act and an injunction to prevent further wrongdoing.
Roblox reported 151.5 million average daily active users in October, with 83% living outside the U.S. and Canada. As of 2024, 40% of daily users were younger than 13.
A Roblox spokesperson said the company shares Paxton’s “commitment to keeping kids and teens safe online” and has implemented “industry-leading protocols” to protect users.
“We are disappointed that, rather than working collaboratively with Roblox on this industry-wide challenge and seeking real solutions, the AG has chosen to file a lawsuit based on misrepresentations and sensationalized claims,” the spokesperson added.
The company said it has implemented “over 145 safety measures” in the past year and plans to roll out age estimation technology to “help prevent adults from chatting with minors.”
