Aug. 16 (UPI) — Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill accused California-based Roblox of enabling online predators to endanger children in a state lawsuit filed on Thursday.
Murrill filed a lawsuit against Roblox in the state’s 21st Judicial District Court in Livingston Parish, where an alleged sexual predator of children recently was arrested while using the site.
“Due to Roblox’s lack of safety protocols, it endangers the safety of the children of Louisiana,” Murrill said in a statement.
“Roblox is overrun with harmful content and child predators because it prioritizes user growth, revenue and profits over child safety,” she said.
“Every parent should be aware of the clear and present danger posed to their children by Roblox so they can prevent the unthinkable from ever happening in their home.”
Roblox reports 56% of its users are age 16 or under, including 40% who are age 12 or under, Murrill said.
She said the interactive online gaming platform that was launched in 2006 has nearly 82 million active daily users who can access millions of online games.
Among them are games with names that include “Escape to Epstein Island,” “Diddy Party” and “Public Bathroom Simulator Vibe.”
Such games “are often filled with sexually explicit material and simulated sexual activity, such as child gang rape,” Murrill said.
She cited a recent report that shows openly traded child pornography and solicitations for sex from minors among 3,334 of Roblox members.
Murrill noted that Livingston Parish police officers recently arresting a local Roblox user in Livingston Parish under suspicion of possessing child sexual abuse material.
The suspect allegedly was active on the Roblox site at the time of the arrest and used voice-altering technology to mimic a young female’s voice, she said.
The individual allegedly was luring and sexually exploiting minors on Roblox, which is one example of why her office has taken legal action against Roblox, Murrill added.
She accuses Roblox of violating the Louisiana Unfair Practices Act, negligence and public nuisance, and unjust enrichment and seeks civil penalties, restitution for the state’s enforcement activities and other damages.
Roblox officials denied allegations that the site intentionally or negligently enables such activities.
“Any assertion that Roblox would intentionally put our users at risk of exploitation is simply untrue,” the company said in a statement on Friday.
“No system is perfect, and bad actors adapt to evade detection, including efforts to take users to other platforms, where safety standards and moderation practices may differ,” Roblox officials said.
“We continuously work to block those efforts and to enhance our moderation approaches to promote a safe and enjoyable environment for all users.”