Louisiana Sues Roblox For Being a Platform Where Predators 'Thrive, Unite, Hunt and Victimise Kids'

Louisiana is taking a stand against the popular online gaming platform, Roblox, filing a lawsuit that claims the company has created an environment where child predators can operate with ease. On Thursday, 14 August 2025, Louisiana accused Roblox of fostering an environment where sexual predators can 'thrive, unite, hunt and victimise kids'.

A Lawsuit Challenging Roblox's Priorities

The lawsuit was filed in state court by Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill claiming that Roblox's failure to put in place adequate safety measures has left child users vulnerable to adult predators.

'Due to Roblox's lack of safety protocols, it endangers the safety of the children of Louisiana', Murrill said in a news release. 'Roblox is overrun with harmful content and child predators because it prioritises user growth, revenue, and profits over child safety'.

In an X post, Murrill drew attention to the scale of the platform, noting that Roblox has nearly 82 million daily active users and more than 6.4 million 'experiences' available. Alarmingly, children under the age of 12 make up more than 40% of that user base.

The absence of a minimum age, along with the lack of any age verification or parental permission upon sign-up, means users can easily provide a false age. This enables child predators to pose as children, and also allows younger users to circumvent age restrictions.

The Horrifying Consequences

Roblox has been subject to public criticism and even faced lawsuits for failing to protect children on its gaming services satisfactorily. An Iowa lawsuit was filed last month, stemming from the alleged kidnapping, trafficking and rape of a 13-year-old girl who was introduced to an adult predator on the platform.

Livingston Parish Sheriff Jason Ard in Louisiana reported that his office has handled multiple cases involving Roblox.

In one of those instances, police alleged a man on the platform used voice-altering technology to pose as a girl. According to Ard, no arrests have yet been made in connection with the gaming site. Ultimately, Murrill stated her belief that Roblox should be shut down.

The Zero-Tolerance Contradiction

Roblox prohibits users from sharing videos or images in chats and works to block any personal information, such as phone numbers. Yet, as is the case with other gaming platforms and social media sites with similar policies, people find ways to circumvent such safeguards.

As stated on its website, Roblox has 'a zero-tolerance policy for the exploitation of minors and thus does not permit children under 13 to chat with other users outside of games unless they have explicit parental permission. Given that the platform does not encrypt private chat conversations, the company can monitor and moderate them.

Despite this, the platform lacks both a minimum age and a robust age verification process, Murrill noted. This makes it simple for young children, teens and adults posing as children to create an account, she explained.

Roblox Responds with New Safeguards

Roblox's website confirms that a new age verification feature is 'currently in testing on Roblox'. The company also launched a new feature last month called 'trusted connections', which requires users aged 13 to 17 to submit a video selfie to verify their age, allowing them to chat freely with people they know.

Following a wave of mounting criticism in recent months, the company has put in place new safeguards that it claims will keep its young users safe.

An AI Solution to a Human Problem?

According to a statement Roblox gave to the Associated Press in August, the company was rolling out an artificial intelligence system called Sentinel to help identify early signs of possible child endangerment, such as sexually exploitative language.

The company claimed the system led it to submit 1,200 reports of potential child exploitation attempts to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children in the first half of 2025. The company said it is now making the Sentinel system open-source, so other platforms can also use it.

It is only when seen in the context of a more extended conversation that seemingly harmless questions like 'how old are you?' or 'where are you from?' take on a more sinister meaning.

Ultimately, the legal action against Roblox reflects a growing demand for greater accountability from online platforms. As this case moves forward, the conversation around digital safety for children will continue to evolve, with the outcome potentially reshaping how companies protect their youngest users.