Los Angeles County files lawsuit against Roblox over child protections

Roblox faces a lawsuit by Los Angeles County that alleges the gaming platform engaged in unfair and deceptive business practices that exposed children to sexual content, exploitation and online predators.

The civil complaint filed Thursday in Los Angeles Superior Court accuses Roblox of failing to implement adequate moderation and age-verification safeguards despite marketing the platform as a safe space for children.

NBCLA has reached out to Roblox for comment.

“This lawsuit is about protecting children from online predators and inappropriate content,” LA County Board of Supervisors Chair Hilda Solis said in a statement. “Roblox has a responsibility to keep kids safe, but instead it has allowed its platform to become a place where children can be exposed to grooming and exploitation.”

The mega-popular gaming platform has more than 151 million daily active users, according to the company.

Roblox is designed for “age-appropriate experiences,” but users must be at least 5 years old to create an account, according to the company. In December, the company announced a facial age check for to access age-based chats and limit communication between minors and adults. The requirement was to begin in some markets in December and expand globally in early January.

The county claims violations of California’s Unfair Competition Law and False Advertising Law and is seeking injunctive relief, abatement and civil penalties of up to $2,500 per violation per day. Officials described the lawsuit as the first filed by a California governmental agency targeting Roblox for alleged child endangerment and exploitation.

In December, a Southern California family announced a lawsuit against Roblox that claimed a then 12-year-old user met a sexual predator on the platform.