An Oklahoma County mother has filed a lawsuit against popular online gaming platform Roblox, accusing the company of enabling a breeding ground for sexual predators and failing to protect her 12-year-old son from exploitation.
The Oaklahoman reports that in a disturbing case that highlights the dangers children can face online, an Oklahoma County mother, identified only as “Jane Doe,” has filed a federal lawsuit against Roblox on behalf of her son, now 14, who also remains anonymous in the suit. The 82-page lawsuit, filed on Thursday in the Northern District of California, where Roblox is headquartered, alleges that the gaming platform failed to provide adequate safety measures to protect children from sexual predators.
According to the lawsuit, Jane Doe’s son was targeted at age 12 on Roblox by a predator posing as a fellow child. The predator allegedly exploited and manipulated the boy into exchanging sexually explicit images and videos of himself. The suit argues that Roblox’s design “makes children easy prey for pedophiles” and that the company prioritizes “financial gain over child safety.”
The lawsuit also accuses Roblox of misleading parents and guardians into believing that the gaming app is a safe and appropriate place for children through its “pervasive patterns of misrepresentations about safety.” The mother and son are seeking monetary damages from Roblox for the pain, suffering, mental anguish, loss of enjoyment of life, emotional distress, and expenses for medical treatments resulting from the alleged abuse.
This case is not an isolated incident. Breitbart News reported in September on a lawsuit over the tragic grooming and suicide of a teenage boy who was targeted by a predator on Roblox. Earlier this month, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton filed a lawsuit against the gaming giant:
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton (R) has announced that his office has sued Roblox Corporation, alleging that the online gaming giant has “flagrantly ignored” safety laws and “deceived parents” about the potential dangers the platform poses to children. In a social media post, Paxton described Roblox as a “breeding ground for predators,” accusing the company of putting “pixel pedophiles and corporate profit” above the safety of Texas children.
The lawsuit against Roblox adds to the growing list of legal challenges the company faces related to online safety and internet predators. With tens of millions of daily active users, many of whom are children, Roblox has come under increasing scrutiny for its handling of user safety.
Attorney Matthew Dolman commented on the situation, stating, “This case against Roblox is a terrifying reminder of the world we live in, where capitalist greed far outweighs humanity.”