Kentucky lawyer basic sues Roblox alleging a “playground for predators”

Kentucky has sued Roblox, alleging that kids are accessing violent simulation video games on the favored gaming platform, together with depictions of the assassination of Charlie Kirk, simply weeks after the conservative activist’s killing.

In the 68-page grievance filed Tuesday in Madison Circuit Court in Madison County, the state Attorney General’s Office alleges that it’s not unusual for the greater than 85 million every day energetic gamers on the platform to search out themselves in violent or sexual conditions, with few safeguards put in place by Roblox. 

“For years, Roblox has ignored this crisis so it could continue turning a profit. Our responsibility is to protect Kentucky children from online exploitation by these predators and the companies like Roblox that knowingly facilitate it,” Attorney General Russell Coleman stated Tuesday in a statement, referring to the platform as a “playground for predators.”

The complaint alleges Roblox knowingly enabled and facilitated the sexual exploitation and abuse of kids throughout the United States, together with in Kentucky. The in-game forex, referred to as “Robux,” is allegedly utilized by predators to entice kids into harmful conditions, court docket paperwork state. Several examples cited within the lawsuit embody video games the place Roblox avatars engaged in simulated sexual exercise along with the graphic capturing of Kirk. 

“We filed a lawsuit to come after Roblox with the full force of the law. My message to parents: get your kids off Roblox,” Attorney General Russell Coleman stated in a post on X. 

Roblox stated in an announcement to CBS News that the lawsuit was primarily based on “sensationalized, outdated and out-of-context information.”

“At this time, we have had no contact from the Attorney General’s office regarding our platform or safety features, but we welcome a direct conversation with the AG’s office and all policymakers to ensure they have a clear understanding of all Roblox is doing to keep users safe,” Roblox stated in its emailed assertion. “Keeping kids safe online requires a collaborative industry-wide effort, which we welcome.”

Roblox stated it shares “the critically important goal of keeping kids safe online and have years of experience working collaboratively with law enforcement, child safety experts, and families in pursuit of our vision to be the safest platform on the internet.”

A CBS News investigation in August discovered that Roblox customers can bypass security moderations to show kids to inappropriate content material, together with swastikas, hate speech and graphic sexual imagery. Several lawsuits had been filed towards the corporate, in accordance with the investigation, alleging exploitative practices aimed toward kids, with extra filed in current weeks. 

In August, Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill filed a baby safety lawsuit towards Roblox, alleging the platform is “overrun with harmful content and child predators.” Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier introduced in April that he issued a subpoena to Roblox, whereas the Oklahoma Attorney General’s Office recently requested proposals for authorized providers to research and presumably sue Roblox.

“Our children are not safe on Roblox. Predators and criminals aren’t just lurking in the platform’s shadows; they’ve been allowed to commit their crimes out in the open,” Attorney General Coleman said Tuesday.