Roblox, the popular online game used by millions of children, has become a "hunting ground for child predators," a lawsuit filed against the game's developer by Oklahoma claims.
The lawsuit alleges that Roblox "knowingly enabled and facilitated the systemic sexual exploitation and abuse of children" and "perpetuated an online environment in which child predators thrive."
Roblox was released in 2006. There, users can program and create games that can then be played by themselves and others. Users interact and play with each other and also use a virtual currency, Robux, to outfit and equip characters and make other purchases.
"Roblox marketed itself as a safe place for children but turned a blind eye as predators targeted and exploited minors on its platform," Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond said. "It failed to implement adequate safeguards, failed to protect young users and failed to be honest with parents about the risks. We must ensure Roblox is held accountable and Oklahoma families are protected."
Roblox Chief Safety Officer Matt Kaufman said in a statement to CBS News that the company has a safety system in place and deploys filters to prevent the exchange of personal information.
"We share Attorney General Drummond's commitment to child online safety," Kaufman told the network. "With that said, we are disappointed that he has filed a lawsuit that both fundamentally misrepresents how Roblox works and fails to take into account the extensive, industry-leading proactive measures the company is taking to set a new standard in online safety."
However, the lawsuit called Roblox's safety measures "defective." It highlighted a case in September 2025 in Oklahoma in which a man in his mid-40s posed as a 15-year-old boy. The man then used the Robux currency system to earn the trust of a 12-year-old girls and induced her to send him sexually explicit photos and videos.
"Parents have reported instances of children being approached by strangers through third-party messaging applications that appear seamlessly integrated into a game, chat exchanges containing adult themes such as violence and rape, children's avatars being subjected to violent sexual acts by other players, and children entering areas of the platform dedicated to virtual sexual activity, including spaces featuring unclothed avatars," the lawsuit states.
Roblox ended 2025 with about 144 million daily active users, with about 60 percent of those users described as of school age. The lawsuit notes the ease with which children can create an online account.
"Account creation requires nothing more than a birthdate, username, and password, allowing children of any age to register without restriction," the lawsuit states. "Roblox has implemented no safeguards to prevent minors from creating accounts and accessing the platform without their parents' knowledge or consent."
The lawsuit alleges that ease of account creation also made it easy for child sex predators to pretend that they are children.
"Roblox's willingness to sacrifice the well-being of children in pursuit of profit is unconscionable and indefensible," Drummond said.
The lawsuit alleges violations of the Oklahoma Consumer Protection Act and seeks civil penalties and a permanent injunction against the company, among other relief.
