Louisiana's attorney general filed a lawsuit against Roblox Corporation (NASDAQ:RBLX), accusing the gaming company of enabling child sexual abuse and exploitation on its platform.
The state claims Roblox has failed to protect young users in Louisiana and the U.S.
Roblox, one of the most widely used interactive gaming platforms for children, promotes itself as the "#1 gaming site for kids and teens" and an educational experience.
The lawsuit, filed by the Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill, alleges that these assurances are misleading, arguing the company has not implemented adequate safety measures or informed parents of the platform's risks.
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"Roblox created, curated, and perpetuated an online environment where child sex predators thrive, unite, hunt, and victimize kids," Murrill, a Republican, said.
Roblox first launched in 2006. Since then, it has accumulated more than 380 million monthly users. More than half of its players between the ages of 9 and 16, Murrill said.
According to the complaint, Roblox didn’t address well-documented threats has directly harmed Louisiana's children. The state also argues that by not putting adequate safeguards in place or alerting families to dangers, Roblox has enabled predators to target minors.
The state accuses the company of willful disregard and deceptive practices that have contributed to the systemic sexual exploitation of minors, including those in Louisiana.
The urgency of the case, the filing notes, is underscored by a recent incident in Livingston Parish.
In July, local law enforcement executed a search warrant at the home of a suspect accused of possessing child sexual abuse material. The individual was reportedly on Roblox at the time and using voice-altering software to imitate a young female's voice in an alleged attempt to lure and exploit minors on the platform.
Louisiana is seeking restitution, disgorgement of profits gained from alleged misconduct, civil penalties, attorneys' fees, injunctive relief, and damages.
Louisiana isn’t the state scrutinizing Roblox. In July, a lawsuit was filed in Florida seeking to hold the gaming platform and Discord accountable for allegedly enabling the sexual exploitation of a minor.
The suit, underscoring claims of systemic failures in child safety protections, accuses both companies of creating platforms that allowed a predator to target and abuse the plaintiff, who was a minor at the time and is now just entering adulthood.
Roblox’s press contact did not respond to a Benzinga email seeking commentary.
Price Action: RBLX stock is down about 7% at $116 at the last check on Friday.
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