Is Roblox a Safe Space For Children? Multiple Families Sue Roblox Corporation For Child Exploitation
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The biggest metaverse game, Roblox, is under fire for false advertising of being a safe space for children, and parents are not happy with how much money they’re spending on the platform, only to find out their child is being groomed, sent sexual content, and being asked to perform favors among other things.
As reported by Business Wire, Roblox Corporation has been pulled into a class-action lawsuit by multiple families. Allegations indicate that the company has allowed exposure to sexual content to underage users on the platform.
Roblox Is Not a Safe Space for Children
Alexandra Walsh of Walsh Law, the firm representing the families, says, “There’s a misperception that Roblox is safe – the brand has a bit of a halo around it due to the company falsely advertising itself that way to parents”. She further added, “Parents who would never let their kids use TikTok don’t think twice about letting them on Roblox, even though what they encounter on Roblox can be far more harmful. The platform’s popularity skyrocketed during the pandemic when parents were desperately seeking social interaction for their children. But Roblox has overstayed its welcome in spaces designed for kids.”
She also claims that children and their parents are misled about the “efficacy of Roblox’s filtering technologies” and its capacity to make the site safe for children. As per the complaint, nude avatars, avatars engaging in sexual intercourse, and virtual strip clubs are getting through filters.
The release mentions the platform’s popularity spiked during the pandemic. Roblox’s Chief Business officer, Craig Donato, has remarked that the network’s users grew by 40% during February 2020 and March 2020. Some families even organized birthday parties for kids, inviting friends and relatives in virtual rooms.
The variety of content and game modes is an appealing factor for its audience, but clearly, there’s something wrong with how the game is being filtered for children.
As per the press release, one of the individuals spent over $4000 thinking that the platform was safe for her child. Another person claimed that she found links sent to her daughter’s account, which redirected users towards pornographic content.
The complaint states that Roblox’s claim of restricting children from harmful content in their community guidelines is completely “untrue”. The platform provides access to such content to its users “extremely easy”. The complaint also adds that plaintiffs were “deceived into spending money on Roblox through the bold and inaccurate statements the company made, and that they would have found a different place to spend their money if they had known the truth.”
It’s not the first time Roblox has faced a lawsuit. It has seen its fair share of lawsuits, including class action lawsuits, and they have been settled in some cases. However, the serious nature of these allegations may finally force Roblox Corporation to take action and make its platform safe.
