(NEXSTAR) – Parents around the country have filed at least eight lawsuits against popular world-building and gaming app Roblox, alleging the platform makes it too easy for predators to contact, groom and even abduct children.
The latest such lawsuit, filed this week, comes after a 10-year-old in California was found hours from home in May with a 27-year-old man she met on Roblox. The man has been charged with kidnapping and child sex-related crimes.
Another lawsuit calls Roblox a “digital hunting ground” for child abusers. This case centers around a 13-year-old Iowa girl, who was allegedly kidnapped from her grandmother’s house and sexually abused. The suspect, a 37-year-old, had claimed to be a teenager when speaking with the victim on Roblox, according to the victim’s family.
Similar suits have been filed by families in Alabama, Florida, Indiana, New Jersey, Texas and Washington, one law firm representing the families said.
Roblox may look like a typical video game at first glance, said Titania Jordan, an executive at content monitoring app Bark and author of “Parental Control.”
“But unlike a single game, Roblox is actually a huge online platform hosting millions of user-created environments where kids can build, explore, and interact live with others,” said Jordan. “Its blocky, playful style makes it seem safe and welcoming, but that surface can be misleading when it comes to real safety. Because of its size and the way it encourages chatting and socializing, Roblox can sometimes act like a virtual playground with minimal adult supervision.”
In many of the pending criminal cases and lawsuits, the alleged predators pretended to be minors themselves.
“They often join popular games, pick avatars and usernames that appeal to children, and start friendly conversations. Over time, they may try to earn trust by giving compliments, sharing interests, or even gifting in-game currency or rare items,” Jordan said.
Many of the lawsuits also name Discord, a messaging platform that some alleged predators use to communicate with the underaged victims they meet on Roblox.
“This case is horrifying, but it’s the natural consequence of how these platforms choose to operate,” said Alexandra Walsh, partner at law firm Anapol Weiss, in a press release announcing the latest filing. “Roblox and Discord know predators are exploiting children on their platforms.”
Spokespeople for Roblox and Discord told Nexstar the companies prioritize safety on their platforms and dedicate resources to content moderation and preventing inappropriate behavior.
“While no system is perfect, Roblox has implemented rigorous safeguards, including restrictions on sharing personal information, links, and user-to-user image sharing, and prohibiting sexual conversations,” a spokesperson said.
“As underlined by our global community guidelines, any content or behavior that endangers children has no place on Discord – or any other platform,” said a Discord spokesperson.
Roblox also pointed to its family center, which can help them set up parental controls.
Jordan recommended parents take advantage of Roblox’s built-in safety tools by enabling parental controls and disabling chat features. “Especially for younger kids, turning off both in-game chat and direct messages can remove a major risk. Many grooming attempts start with simple chats asking for help or offering compliments to gain trust.”
Parents should also look out for warning signs that “something might be off,” she said, such as suddenly becoming more secretive or guarding their screens, not wanting to talk about or share what’s happening in a game, or receiving gifts or codes from “friends.”