Roblox accused of enabling 'systemic sexual exploitation' of children in new lawsuit

Roblox is once again the target of online child safety advocates, as it faces another lawsuit that claims the platform is "choosing profits over child safety."

The lawsuit, file by Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill, alleges the platform has "knowingly and intentionally" failed to institute "basic safety controls" that have exposed young players to predatory behavior and child sex abuse materials. Murrill also alleges the platform has failed to properly warn parents of potential dangers children face when playing Roblox.

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In a series of tweets posted to X, Murrill claimed the platform was "perpetuating violence against children and sexual exploitation for profit" and called many of the site's gaming worlds, which are built by users and played by millions of children around the world, "obscene garbage." Murrill also posted several images of what were allegedly publicly available game experiences hosted on the platform, including "Escape to Epstein Island" and "Public Showers." Similar legal actions have been taken against other popular social media platforms — including Meta, TikTok, and Snapchat — amid growing concern for youth online safety and mental health.

"The assertion that Roblox would intentionally put our users at risk of exploitation is categorically untrue. Every day, tens of millions of people around the world use Roblox to learn stem skills, play, and imagine and have a safe experience on our platform," a Roblox spokesperson said in a comment issued Friday. "We dedicate vast resources to supporting a safe infrastructure including advanced technology and 24/7 human moderation, to detect and prevent inappropriate content and behavior — not only because it's important to us but because it is such a critical issue and so important to our community.

"We dispute these allegations and we remain committed to working with Attorney General Murrill to keep kids safe. While no system is perfect, Roblox has implemented rigorous safeguards — such as restrictions on sharing personal information, links, and user-to-user image sharing — to help protect our community. Unfortunately, bad actors will try to circumvent our systems to try to direct users off the platform, where safety standards and moderation practices may differ. We continuously work to block those efforts and to enhance our moderation approaches to promote a safe and enjoyable environment for all users."

The company also released an official statement outlining its commitments to child safety.

Roblox has been on a mission to reform its image following a series of reports claiming the online gaming site is dangerous for young children, allegedly because it failed to curb a network of predatory adult users. In 2023, a class action lawsuit was filed against the platform on behalf of parents, claiming the company falsely advertised its site as safe for children.

Since then, Roblox has introduced a swath of new safety features, including extensive blocking tools, parental oversight, and messaging controls. The platform recently introduced selfie-based age verification for teen players — in the lawsuit, Murrill claims a lack of age verification policies makes it easier for predators to interact with children on the platforms. Earlier this year, the platform joined other social media companies backing the newly passed Take It Down Act, which establishes takedown policies and repercussions for publishing non-consensual intimate imagery, including deepfakes.

UPDATE: Aug. 15, 2025, 6:05 p.m. This story was updated with an official statement from Roblox.