Khaberni - In a new legal escalation highlighting the dangers of the digital world, the U.S. state of Texas has filed a lawsuit against Roblox Corporation, accusing it of allowing predators to lure children and expose them to inappropriate content, describing its popular platform as a "digital playground for predators."
According to the "New York Post", the lawsuit filed by Attorney General Ken Paxton accuses the company of violating trade laws by misleading parents about the level of safety on the platform, and creating a "public nuisance" as it has become a preferred destination for child predators online.
Paxton said in an official statement: "We will not allow platforms like Roblox to turn into digital hunting grounds for predators, and the company must take responsibility for protecting children from hidden predators behind screens."
The Attorney General added that his state would seek to impose the harshest penalties against any company "that contributes to the mistreatment of children."
A series of similar cases
This lawsuit is part of a series of similar cases in other U.S. states such as Louisiana and Kentucky, alongside private lawsuits accusing the company, based in California, of failing to confront sexual violations against minors on its platform.
The new lawsuit describes Roblox as an "extensive and unregulated digital world," rife with predators and sexual content, pointing out that the platform's virtual currency "Robux" has become a means to lure and entrap, "replacing candy, predators now tempt children with Robux," according to the lawsuit text.
Exploitation and mistreatment of children
The case files refer to dozens of federal investigations and criminal convictions linking the platform to child exploitation and abuse instances, including an incident involving a 10-year-old child from Texas who was raped after being lured through the game.
The Attorney General's office requested a jury trial, in addition to fines up to $10,000 for each violation of the state's deceptive trade practices law, and issuance of a court order requiring the company to correct its policies.
Denial
For its part, Roblox Corporation denied the accusations, stating in a statement to "The Post" that it shares the same goal with Texas authorities in "maintaining the safety of children and teenagers online."
The company's spokesperson added: "We are disappointed that the Attorney General chose a legal confrontation rather than collaboration to find shared solutions to a problem facing the entire industry. The platform implemented over 145 security measures last year and is preparing to launch new technology for estimating users' ages to prevent communication between adults and minors on the platform."
