Roblox Under Fire: Inside the Growing Wave of Child Safety Lawsuits

For more than 17 years, Drugwatch has covered dozens of dangerous medications, devices and products that have impacted consumers, along with the lawsuits and quests to seek justice that have resulted from those claims.

In recent months, lawsuits surrounding a different type of dangerous product have begun to mount. It is not a drug or medical device. Instead, it is a platform that reaches hundreds of millions of users, predominantly teens and children.

Popular gaming platform Roblox has now been active for nearly two decades, serving essentially as an online playground where children can access an endless array of user-made games. The company behind the platform touts it as a safe way for users to “play, create, and connect.”

But more than 145 lawsuits now say Roblox has served as a breeding ground for child predators, offering them virtually unfettered access to millions of unsuspecting children. Claims in lawsuits range from the solicitation of sexual images to meetups that led to sexual abuse.

In this Drugwatch Investigation, we dive into the claims behind these rising lawsuits, what parents need to know and the increasing calls for company accountability in the digital age.

Roblox is a wildly popular online gaming platform. Its user base has access to a vast ecosystem of games they can play with friends or online users. The platform even has its own currency, called Robux, that can be purchased with real money.

“Roblox is an immersive gaming and creation platform that offers people millions of ways to be together, inviting its community to explore, create, and share endless unique experiences,” the company says on its website.

Since its initial launch in 2006, the platform has exploded in popularity, attracting hundreds of millions of monthly users. As it grew, Roblox regularly boasted of its safety features.

“We take every precaution possible to make sure kids are protected from inappropriate and offensive individuals as well as from indecent and distasteful content,” the company stated on its website from 2008 to 2016.

The Verge reported that in 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic, more than half of all U.S. kids and teens under 16 were using Roblox.

By the end of 2024, the platform was seeing over 85 million users on a typical day.

But as Roblox ballooned in popularity, some early warning signs about the platform’s safety and content began to pop up.

In 2018, North Carolina mother Amber Petersen witnessed her 7-year-old daughter playing on Roblox and seeing her avatar (an online character version of herself) being raped by other users.

“I was just completely shocked afterwards,” she told WRAL News after the incident. “It took me an hour … I wanted to call the police.”

Petersen said that her daughter had painstakingly created an avatar that looked just like her. Privacy settings had also been set up on the account.

At the time, Roblox blamed the incident on a “bad actor” and said it would implement additional safeguards on the platform.

The incident sparked discussion about the types of content and experiences children may encounter on Roblox. But as the years went by and incidents mounted, the problem morphed from strictly content concerns into an alleged risk of real contact with predators.

Evidence has now emerged that child predators may use Roblox as a way to contact, exploit and abuse children.

Bloomberg reported in 2024 that, over a six-year period beginning in 2018, more than 20 people were arrested on accusations of abducting or abusing young users they had met through Roblox.

Now, dozens of families have come forward with lawsuits, claiming that their children fell victim to predators and that Roblox failed to keep its users safe.

“These lawsuits claim that Roblox did not do enough to protect children, even though it knew many of its users were minors,” Drugwatch attorney and consumer safety advocate Whitney Ray Di Bona said. “The plaintiffs say that predators used Roblox to contact, groom and manipulate children into having sexual conversations, sharing explicit images, or meeting in person, which sometimes led to assault.”

What Grooming Looks Like on Roblox

No two situations are the same, but the dozens of lawsuits have exposed patterns in how grooming occurs on Roblox.

“There are some commonalities in how predators tend to groom kids online, and one of the first things they look for is kids who are vulnerable,” Dr. Stacy Vaughan, vice president of Growth and Prevention at Childhelp, told Drugwatch. “If a child is displaying any kind of emotional need or any kind of stress in their life, that’s a signal to a predator that this is a good target for me to try to groom into these harmful situations.”

These interactions often involve efforts to build trust, such as masquerading as other children or offering attention and support that may feel genuine to a young user. They may also involve gift-giving, such as transferring Robux.

“That really creates that connection between the child and the predator and oftentimes makes the child feel indebted to the predator,” said Vaughan, who is president-elect of Prevent Together – The National Coalition to Prevent Child Sexual Abuse and Exploitation. “So then, when they turn around and ask them to do something, like ‘join me on this platform’ or ‘do this for me, send me this image,’ the child feels like they owe them.”

While predators often pretend to be peers, some may be upfront about their age. That doesn’t always prevent the situation from escalating into abuse.

“There is a lot of research that shows that even when youth online know that someone is older than them, it doesn’t necessarily deter that relationship from forming,” Vaughan said.

The issue at the crux of the Roblox lawsuits is whether the platform actually did enough to keep its users safe, or if stronger safety features should have been implemented sooner.

Roblox has long touted its commitment to safety, but people who have filed lawsuits argue that the company misled both parents and users with those claims.

“What Roblox represents as a safe, appropriate space for children is, in fact, a digital and real-life nightmare for kids,” lawsuits state.

The platform’s safety features have evolved over time, with some changes introduced after concerns were raised. But the cases filed paint a picture of a company focused on profits above all else, sacrificing its users’ safety in the process.

Children can download and install Roblox without involving an adult or tying their account to a parent. Lawsuits claim Roblox rejected proposals from its own employees on parental approval requirements.

Historically, there were also few guardrails on account creation. Anyone could create an account without providing a name or email address.

Adults can also use the platform, and for many years, Roblox did little to restrict communication between adult and child users. Until 2024, adults could send direct messages to children of any age.

Lawsuits also argue that predators often operate multiple accounts at once, but Roblox took no steps within its power to block the creation of multiple accounts from a single IP address.

Roblox has introduced a series of safety updates in recent years, though critics say they have come after longstanding concerns were raised.

In 2024, the company rolled out a dashboard that allowed parents to monitor their children’s activity on the platform. It also placed some restrictions on direct messaging for users under 13.

In 2026, the company unveiled plans to roll out new age-based accounts that will limit some mature content and communication capabilities for the platform’s youngest users.

Roblox also launched a new AI-powered facial recognition tool that estimates a user’s age and is meant to help limit their interactions on the platform to those in similar age groups.

But even as Roblox adopts new technology, predators are adapting alongside it.

“Just as they’re using AI to help the situation, predators are using AI to bypass those protections,” Vaughan said. “There have been cases where predators have used fake avatars. They’ve experimented with different ways to make themselves look younger.”

The Platform Gateway Problem

Part of what lawsuits say makes Roblox so dangerous is that it serves as the initial access point for predators. Lax safety features allow predators to get in touch with children, potentially give them gifts in the form of Robux, and gain their trust.

From there, they can then suggest to the child that they move their conversation to another communication platform.

“Once on another app, like Discord or Snapchat, predators escalate their exploitation by soliciting explicit material, like nude photos or videos of children doing sexually inappropriate acts, all of which constitute child pornography,” lawsuits state.

Since platforms like Discord are primarily for communication, that can translate into fewer safety restrictions.

“If an offender or predator can move a child outside of those guardrails to Discord, WhatsApp, Snapchat, those guardrails vanish, and then they have unfettered access to the child to start sending more graphic images, texts, requesting more graphic things,” Vaughan said. “It’s also more difficult for parents and caregivers to monitor children if they’re off those apps.”

The litigation surrounding Roblox has expanded significantly in recent months as more families come forward with claims. In December, dozens of cases were grouped together in what is known as multidistrict litigation (MDL).

An MDL is a legal procedure commonly used when many similar lawsuits are expected to be filed. It places cases before one judge, allowing them to move through the legal process together. This can provide faster, more streamlined results.

At the start of 2026, the MDL included 85 Roblox lawsuits. By April, that number had ballooned to 146.

“The size of Roblox’s user base makes these lawsuits especially important,” Di Bona said. “With tens of millions of daily users, many of them under 13, even a small safety failure can affect a lot of children.”

As families file more lawsuits, state and local governments have begun to take notice of the issue.

Florida, Texas, Iowa, Nebraska, Tennessee, Louisiana and Kentucky have now all filed lawsuits against Roblox. Other states have not yet filed lawsuits but have announced investigations into the platform.

“We cannot allow platforms like Roblox to continue operating as digital playgrounds for predators where the well-being of our kids is sacrificed on the altar of corporate greed,” Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton said in a November 2025 statement.

Los Angeles filed a similar lawsuit in February, claiming that the platform has both exposed children to sexual content and enabled grooming to take place.

“This is important because when governments sue, they can do more than just ask for money,” Di Bona said. “These cases can lead to court orders, changes in company policies and new rules for the whole industry.”

The potential impact of government lawsuits was seen this month when Roblox and the state of Nevada agreed to a $12 million settlement. The platform agreed to enhance its safety features for younger users and to fund an online safety awareness campaign and a law enforcement liaison position as part of the settlement.

Still, as lawsuits mount both from individuals and governments, Roblox has held firm that it has done nothing wrong and maintains a secure platform.

“We strongly dispute the claims in this lawsuit and will defend against it vigorously,” the company said in a statement in response to the Los Angeles lawsuit. “Roblox is built with safety at its core, and we continue to evolve and strengthen our protections every day.”

Today, the number of digital landmines parents must navigate to keep their children safe online can be overwhelming. It’s important to remember that relying solely on platforms’ built-in safety features may not be enough.

“Surveillance and monitoring is definitely a useful tool for parents, but it only goes so far,” Vaughan said. “We have to start having conversations very early with kids, probably before they even get on technology and continue those conversations.”

According to Vaughan, conversations with children about online activity should go beyond rules and punishment. By showing genuine interest in their online experiences—rather than focusing only on what they shouldn’t do—parents can encourage open communication and reduce the likelihood that children will feel the need to hide what they’re doing.

“If we wait until we’re only saying to kids ‘don’t do this, don’t do that, you can’t go on this platform,’ that’s not establishing that foundation of trust with your child,” she said. “It’s got to be more things like ‘tell me what you do online. What do you like? Show me the games you like to play.’ And sit down and play the game with your child.”

Those open, light interactions can help parents and caregivers transition into more serious conversations about online dangers children should be aware of, and they can also help children feel more comfortable going to their parents if they see or experience something suspicious.

Warning Signs of Online Child Exploitation

Even as dozens of lawsuits are filed, tens of millions of children use platforms like Roblox without incident. Still, these cases highlight real risks, and when problems arise, the consequences can be serious. Experts say certain behavioral changes may signal when something is wrong.

“You’re always looking for changes in a child’s behavior or actions. Any time we see that, that’s a red flag for us that we want to start asking questions,” Vaughan said. “It doesn’t necessarily mean they’re being groomed online or abused online, but there is a reason for that and we need to figure that out.”

It’s common for children to use platforms like Roblox to connect with friends. But how they talk about those interactions can offer insight into the online behavior.

“If they mention new friends or relationships online or they mention someone sent them a gift online, those would be red flags that you would want to look for and ask your child more about,” Vaughan said.

The Roblox lawsuits are part of a growing conversation about internet safety and the potential impacts of the platforms and services used by millions of children.

Early trial outcomes have already shown that change could be on the horizon. Meta, the company behind Facebook and Instagram, was hit with a staggering $375 million verdict in a trial last month over claims that its apps enabled child sexual abuse.

The lawsuit, which had been brought by the state of New Mexico, claimed that Meta’s apps had enabled predators to target children.

Also in March, Meta and YouTube were ordered to pay a combined $6 million to a woman who said she developed serious mental health issues after using their apps as a child. The case was the first of thousands of active social media addiction lawsuits to advance to trial. The verdict was particularly noteworthy, as it showed there could be a roadmap to holding major social media platforms accountable for the alleged mental health effects their apps have had on millions of users.

Video game addiction lawsuits targeting platforms like Roblox have also been filed over claims that certain games were designed to be intentionally addictive.

“Social and gaming platforms are now being seen as products that can cause harm because of how they are designed, not just as neutral hosts,” Di Bona said. “These cases are asking an important question: If you create a digital playground for kids, how much are you responsible for what happens there? The answer could change the legal duties of tech companies everywhere.”