The state of Tennessee filed a lawsuit against gaming platform Roblox for violations of the Tennessee Consumer Protection Act (TCPA).
According to Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti, Roblox operates a knowingly unsafe environment for children and places “profits above child safety.” Skrmetti called the platform the “digital equivalent of a creepy cargo van lingering at the edge of a playground.”
The platform, launched in 2006 is available to access through mobile app stores, computers, or a gaming console. Users are instructed to create an account by providing a birthday, username, and password.
Skrmetti said there is no age requirement or verification, which makes it easy for children to create an account.
“Roblox invites children into a fantastic online world with the promise of creativity and play, but that wonderland is a trap that lets the company sell sophisticated predators access to those vulnerable kids,” Skrmetti said.
The attorney general also claimed the company lied about prioritizing safety. Court documents provided by Skrmetti’s office said the platform allows different “role-play experiences” with “overtly sexual themes” such as strip clubs, an ‘[e]scape to Epstein Island,” and “Diddy Party.”
The complaint noted that Roblox implemented forms of age restrictions, and there are ways that users can bypass these blockages.
“By letting this material proliferate within easy access of children — in direct contradiction of its own safety promises — Roblox shoved Tennessee children into harm’s way to keep revenue growing and engagement levels high,” the complaint said.
The sale of Roblox’s “Robux’ gift cards also contributed to its violation of TCPA, the complaint alleged. This was paired with what the state called deceptive words, conduct, silence, and action.
Skrmetti said the company was deceptive in saying they had taken “every precaution possible” and that the platform was a “safe, moderated, place.” He said had Tennesseans known the harms of the website, they would likely not have indulged.
Roblox’s Chief Safety Officer, Matt Kaufman said the lawsuit “fundamentally represents Roblox and how it works.”
“Roblox is built with safety at its core, and we continue to evolve and strengthen our protections every day,” Kaufman said in a statement. “We have advanced safeguards that monitor our platform for harmful content and communications.”
Kaufman added that users cannot send or receive images through the app’s chat feature, and they are working to further limit who users can chat with.
The officer noted that the industry as a whole is dealing with age verification issues, and they will be rolling out age estimation technocology by the end of the year.
Roblox said they take “swift action” against users who violate their safety rules. The company said they work with groups such as law enforcement and government agencies to help keep the platform safe.