Louisiana sues Roblox, alleging platform enables child exploitation

(The Center Square) – Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill has filed a lawsuit against the online gaming platform Roblox, accusing the company of enabling the distribution of child sexual abuse material and facilitating the sexual exploitation of children in the state.In a complaint filed in state court, Murrill’s office says Roblox “knowingly and intentionally fails to implement basic safety controls to protect child users from predators,” despite having 380 million active monthly users – more than half of whom are under 16. Nearly one-third are under the age of 13.Roblox launched in 2006 but did not begin reporting incidents of child exploitation to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children until 2019 – 13 years later. Even after reporting began, the state says the numbers have been “pitifully minor” compared to other major platforms. Roblox submitted 24,522 CyberTip reports over the past several years, while Facebook, Instagram, Google and Snapchat collectively averaged 3.5 million during the same period.According to Murrill, Roblox’s reports account for less than 1% of the exploitation cases received in Louisiana over the past five years. In 2025, only 2.48% of CyberTips to Louisiana authorities came from Roblox.“It is a rarity when Roblox actually does report child exploitation that occurs on their platform,” the lawsuit says, adding that the company’s lack of age verification and safety protocols hinders law enforcement investigations.Murrill accused Roblox of prioritizing “user growth, revenue, and profits over child safety,” warning parents about “the clear and present danger posed to their children” by the platform. The lawsuit notes that Roblox does not require age verification or parental permission during sign-up, allowing predators to pose as children and minors to bypass age restrictions.The complaint cites a recent Livingston Parish case in which a suspect arrested for possessing child sexual abuse material was actively using Roblox and employing voice-altering technology to lure minors.The lawsuit also references a report revealing a Roblox group with over 3,300 members allegedly trading child pornography and soliciting sex acts from minors.Murrill said she supports new state measures like Rep. Kim Carver’s Act 481, which requires app stores to verify users’ ages and obtain parental permission for minors’ downloads. She argued that both app store operators and app developers must share responsibility for protecting children.“There are pretty clear tech tools that they could be using, and they are not,” Murrill said. “Predators can’t walk into a school or playground without getting arrested, but they can get just about anywhere on these apps and find your kids.”Louisiana’s Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force is assisting in such cases. It works with 50 sheriffs’ offices, 11 police departments, the Louisiana State Police, the FBI, and Homeland Security, .The state is seeking permanent injunctive relief prohibiting Roblox from violating Louisiana’s Unfair Trade Practices law, banning false claims about its safety measures, and ordering restitution to the state along with any additional civil damages allowed by law.