Kentucky attorney general sues Roblox alleging a “playground for predators”

Kentucky has sued Roblox, alleging that children are accessing violent simulation games on the popular gaming platform, including depictions of the assassination of Charlie Kirk, just weeks after the conservative activist’s killing.

In the 68-page complaint filed Tuesday in Madison Circuit Court in Madison County, the state Attorney General’s Office alleges that it is not uncommon for the more than 85 million daily active players on the platform to find themselves in violent or sexual situations, with few safeguards put in place by Roblox. 

“For years, Roblox has ignored this crisis so it could continue turning a profit. Our responsibility is to protect Kentucky children from online exploitation by these predators and the companies like Roblox that knowingly facilitate it,” Attorney General Russell Coleman said Tuesday in a statement, referring to the platform as a “playground for predators.”

The complaint alleges Roblox knowingly enabled and facilitated the sexual exploitation and abuse of children across the United States, including in Kentucky. The in-game currency, known as “Robux,” is allegedly used by predators to entice children into dangerous situations, court documents state. Several examples cited in the lawsuit include games where Roblox avatars engaged in simulated sexual activity in addition to the graphic shooting of Kirk. 

“We filed a lawsuit to come after Roblox with the full force of the law. My message to parents: get your kids off Roblox,” Attorney General Russell Coleman said in a post on X. 

Roblox said in a statement to CBS News that the lawsuit was based on “sensationalized, outdated and out-of-context information.”

“At this time, we have had no contact from the Attorney General’s office regarding our platform or safety features, but we welcome a direct conversation with the AG’s office and all policymakers to ensure they have a clear understanding of all Roblox is doing to keep users safe,” Roblox said in its emailed statement. “Keeping kids safe online requires a collaborative industry-wide effort, which we welcome.”

Roblox said it shares “the critically important goal of keeping kids safe online and have years of experience working collaboratively with law enforcement, child safety experts, and families in pursuit of our vision to be the safest platform on the internet.”

A CBS News investigation in August found that Roblox users can bypass safety moderations to expose children to inappropriate content, including swastikas, hate speech and graphic sexual imagery. Several lawsuits were filed against the company, according to the investigation, alleging exploitative practices aimed at children, with more filed in recent weeks. 

In August, Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill filed a child protection lawsuit against Roblox, alleging the platform is “overrun with harmful content and child predators.” Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier announced in April that he issued a subpoena to Roblox, while the Oklahoma Attorney General’s Office recently requested proposals for legal services to investigate and possibly sue Roblox.

“Our children are not safe on Roblox. Predators and criminals aren’t just lurking in the platform’s shadows; they’ve been allowed to commit their crimes out in the open,” Attorney General Coleman said Tuesday.